Muscle Flap Reconstruction for the Treatment of Major Sternal Wound Infections After Cardiac Surgery: A 10-Year Analysis

Infection of a median sternotomy wound is a rare though potentially fatal complication. Despite early diagnosis and proper treatment, prognosis is poor because of the chance of mediastinal spread of the infection and the poor physical state of these patients. Muscle repair is superior to more conservative surgical options such as sternal resuturing with mediastinal irrigation. During the last 10 years, complications--including sternal infections and dehiscences--have been encountered in 172/4725 median sternotomy wounds after cardiac surgery procedures (4%). Thirty-four patients (of whom 30 had acute sternal infections and four chronical sternal infections) underwent aggressive sternal debridement followed by muscle flap closure. Seventy-two muscle flaps were carried out, a pectoralis major bilateral muscle flap being the most common either alone or in combination with a rectus abdominis muscle flap. Five perioperative deaths (15%) were recorded. Of the 29 surviving patients, 25 patients (74%) were free of infection and four (12%) developed recurrence of the infection after a mean follow up of 3 years (range 49 days-8 years). We conclude that although muscle repair is not free of complications, it is reliable in reducing mediastinitis-related morbidity and mortality.