Publication Date
2012
Journal
The Texas Heart Journal
PMID
22949767
Publication Date(s)
2012
Language
English
PMCID
PMC3423269
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
2012
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-Print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Biocompatible materials, bone wires, postoperative complications, reoperation, retrospective studies, sternotomy, median, sternum/surgery, surgical wound dehiscence/prevention & control/surgery, suture techniques; sutures, thoracotomy/adverse effects
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Postoperative sternal dehiscence is a potentially catastrophic sequela to median sternotomy that can cause not only chest-wall discomfort and pulmonary dysfunction but infection, both superficial and mediastinal. Nitinol thermoreactive clips use a novel material in the treatment of sternal dehiscence. We sought to determine whether the use of these clips is an effective remedy for noninfective sternal dehiscence.
From January 2008 through December 2011, we retrospectively studied the data on 10 patients whose sternums had been closed with nitinol thermoreactive clips after the development of noninfective sternal dehiscence. Diagnosis was made on the bases of clinical criteria, chest radiography, and microbiological investigation. There was no control group.
No procedure-related sequelae occurred. There was no recurrent sternal instability and dehiscence, sternal-related hemorrhage, superficial wound infection, or mediastinal infection.
We believe that the use of nitinol thermoreactive clips is a safe, easy, and efficient method of secondary sternal closure for noninfective sternal dehiscence.