Deep Sternal Wound Infections: Evidence for Prevention, Treatment, and Reconstructive Surgery

Overview

Journal Arch Plast Surg

Specialty General Surgery

Date 2019 Jul 24

PMID 31336416

Citations 16

Authors

Luigi Schiraldi

Gaby Jabbour

Paolo Centofanti

Salvatore Giordano

Etienne Abdelnour

Michel Gonzalez

Wassim Raffoul

Pietro Giovanni di Summa

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Median sternotomy is the most popular approach in cardiac surgery. Post-sternotomy wound complications are rare, but the occurrence of a deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a catastrophic event associated with higher morbidity and mortality, longer hospital stays, and increased costs. A literature review was performed by searching PubMed from January 1996 to August 2017 according to the guidelines in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. The following keywords were used in various combinations: DSWI, post-sternotomy complication, and sternal reconstruction. Thirty-nine papers were included in our qualitative analysis, in which each aspect of the DSWI-related care process was analyzed and compared to the actual standard of care. Plastic surgeons are often involved too late in such clinical scenarios, when previous empirical treatments have failed and a definitive reconstruction is needed. The aim of this comprehensive review was to create an up-to-date operative flowchart to prevent and properly treat sternal wound infection complications after median sternotomy.

Citing Articles

Novel Use of an Electroceutical Wound Dressing to Complement Wound Closure in High-Risk Sternotomy Patients: Clinical Safety and Outcomes.

Khalpey Z, Khalpey Z, Phillips T, Jutla P, Kumar U, Khaliel F Cureus. 2025; 17(2):e78405.

PMID: 40046399 PMC: 11882127. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.78405.

Novel Use of an Aseptically Processed Amnion-Chorion Placental Allograft to Complement Wound Closure in High-Risk Sternotomy Patients: Clinical Safety and Outcomes.

Khalpey Z, Kumar U, Khalpey Z, Hitscherich P, Chnari E, Long M Cureus. 2024; 16(11):e73322.

PMID: 39655141 PMC: 11626682. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.73322.

Sternal Wound Reconstruction Following Deep Sternal Wound Infection: Past, Present and Future: A Literature Review.

Khashkhusha A, Butt S, Abdelghaffar M, Wang W, Rajananthanan A, Roy S J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2024; 11(11).

PMID: 39590204 PMC: 11595137. DOI: 10.3390/jcdd11110361.

Sternal wound types after median sternotomy and reconstruction using dead space-based approach.

Can B, Kiris Y, Dag H, Guzel Y, Dolapoglu A Turk Gogus Kalp Damar Cerrahisi Derg. 2024; 32(3):261-270.

PMID: 39513175 PMC: 11538933. DOI: 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2024.26053.

Developing a calculable risk prediction model for sternal wound infection after median sternotomy: a retrospective study.

Chen Y, He F, Wu F, Hu X, Zhang W, Li S Burns Trauma. 2024; 12:tkae031.

PMID: 39282020 PMC: 11401447. DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkae031.

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