Novel application of vacuum assisted closure technique to the treatment of sternotomy wound infection.

Infection of the sternotomy wound is a potentially devastating and sometimes lethal complication following cardiac surgery. Established treatment may involve a combination of debridement, packing, delayed closure, plastic reconstruction, re-wiring and irrigation dependent on the severity of infection. Vacuum assisted closure, originally adopted for the treatment of non-healing wounds, has recently gained popularity among various surgical specialities in managing complex wound infection. Here we describe this novel technique of managing postoperative sternal wound infection.