ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Robicsek, F.
Right arrow Articles by Born, G. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Robicsek, F.
Right arrow Articles by Born, G. V.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 31, 357-359, Copyright © 1981 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

ARTICLES

The embolization of bone wax from sternotomy incisions

F Robicsek, TN Masters, L Littman and GV Born

We discuss our study on the effects of discontinuation of the usage of bone wax as a hemostatic agent in sternotomy incisions. In 1976, we abandoned use of bone wax because it was suspected of causing several cases of Mycobacterium fortuitum sternal osteomyelitis. In a retrospective study involving 400 patients, we found that this step did not increase postoperative bleeding as measured by drainage from the chest tube and by the need to return patients to the operating room because of bleeding. It also was observed that there was an appreciable simultaneous drop in pulmonary complications. To test our theory that the wax pressed into the bone marrow can embolize to the lung, radioactively tagged bone wax was pressed into the cut sternum in animal models, and a search was made for radioactive deposits in the peripheral lung tissue. Shortly after the application of the wax, there was evidence of large radioactive deposits in the lungs. It is probable that this embolization occurs also under clinical conditions and may play a role in pulmonary complications following open-heart operations.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
J. Prziborowski, M. Hartrumpf, U. A. Stock, R. U. Kuehnel, and J. M. Albes
Is Bonewax Safe and Does It Help?
Ann. Thorac. Surg., March 1, 2008; 85(3): 1002 - 1006.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Vet PatholHome page
S. S. Couto and C. A. Artacho
Mycobacterium fortuitum Pneumonia in a Cat and the Role of Lipid in the Pathogenesis of Atypical Mycobacterial Infections
Vet. Pathol., July 1, 2007; 44(4): 543 - 546.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 MMCTSHome page
N. Durrleman and G. Massard
Sternotomy
MMCTS, August 10, 2006; 2006(0810): 1875.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ICVTSHome page
F. Bhatti and J. Dunning
Does liberal use of bone wax increase the risk of mediastinitis?
Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery, December 1, 2003; 2(4): 410 - 412.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
H. K. Kjaergard and H. R. Trumbull
Bleeding from the sternal marrow can be stopped using vivostat patient-derived fibrin sealant
Ann. Thorac. Surg., April 1, 2000; 69(4): 1173 - 1175.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
R. C. Hill, B. Kalantarian, and D. R. Jones
Use of microfibrillar collagen hemostat (Avitene) and thrombin to achieve hemostasis after median sternotomy
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., December 1, 1994; 108(6): 1151 - 1152.
[Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1981 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.