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Ann Thorac Surg 2004;77:210-213
© 2004 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Original article: cardiovascular

A modified parasternal wire technique for prevention and treatment of sternal dehiscence

^a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India

Accepted for publication July 17, 2003.

^* Address reprint requests to Dr Puri, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Forti's Heart Institute, Mohali, Punjab, India
e-mail: drdeepakpuri2{at}rediffmail.com

BACKGROUND: Sternal dehiscence with or without mediastinitis is a devastating complication of median sternotomy. Various techniques of sternotomy closure including ‘figure of eight’ wire sutures, nylon bands, and custom-made titanium-H plates have been described. We have devised and tested a new method of sternal closure to prevent sternal wound complications in patients at high risk of sternal dehiscence.

METHODS: 1336 patients underwent sternotomy for various cardiac operations from January 1996 to January 2002. Patients were divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 560 patients who did not have any high risk factors for sternal dehiscence and received a standard six wire closure. Group II comprised of patients at high risk of sternal dehiscence and were divided randomly into subgroup II A (n = 390), which included patients who had conventional sternal closure. While in subgroup II B (n = 386) patients had a modified parasternal wire closure according to the finalized protocol.

RESULTS: Sternal instability was noticed in 1/560 and none had sternal dehiscence in group I, but 16/390 patients had sternal instability and 3/390 had sternal dehiscence in subgroup II A, whereas only one patient in high risk subgroup II B developed sternal dehiscence with mediastinitis and required a pectoral flap advancement for sternal closure.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of modified parasternal wire closure in patients with a high risk of sternal dehiscence is a safe, effective, technically easily reproducible, as well as economical, method of preventing and treating sternal dehiscence.

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