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Midterm Results of Sternal Band Closure in Open Heart Surgery and Risk Analysis of Sternal Band Removal
Author(s) -
Motomatsu Yuma,
Imasaka Kenichi,
Tayama Eiki,
Tomita Yukihiro
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/aor.12514
Subject(s) - closure (psychology) , medicine , sternum , surgery , political science , law
Sternal dehiscence, which is responsible for the development of mediastinitis, is a serious complication after cardiothoracic surgery. We retrospectively compared the results of two methods for sternal closure after cardiothoracic surgery performed during J anuary 2009 to M ay 2012. The methods comprised closure with sternal bands and steel wires (group A , n = 92) versus conventional closure using steel wires alone (group B , n = 442). Although not significantly different between the two groups, no patients undergoing sternal band closure experienced dehiscence or mediastinitis. The incidence of having to remove materials used for sternal closure was significantly higher in group A than in group B . In each case of removal in group A , the materials removed were sternal bands whose tips had caused direct cutaneous irritation. Thus, although sternal bands may be effective for rigid sternal closure, they must sometimes be removed because of chest discomfort caused by the tip of the band.