Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1516-1517
© 2007 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
New Technology
Invited commentary
James A. Magovern, MD
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 E North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(Email: jmagover@wpahs.org).
| The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below. |
The midline sternotomy is a commonly used incision, especially for cardiac surgery. Approximately 1,000,000 patients have cardiac surgery worldwide each year, with 500,000 patients per year in the United States. Despite this large volume of sternotomies, relatively little research has been done on methods for closure to achieve stable internal fixation. This is an important area in which real progress that can change clinical outcome can be made. The incidence of early sternal dehiscence and infection continues to be in the range of 1% to 2%, with another 1% to 2% of developing nonunion or late dehiscence in long-term follow-up. These . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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Copyright © 2007 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.