| Vacuum-Assisted Closure for Infections after Cardiovascular Surgery |
(Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan and Department of Plastic Surgery, Nagahama Red Cross Hospital*, Nagahama, Japanj
| Ryuji Higashita |
Tohru Asai |
Shoichiro Shiraishi |
| Keiji Matsubayashi |
Takao Nishi |
Masato Kurokawa* |
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We employed vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) as a treatment modality for wound complications after cardiovasular surgery. Between March and December 2004, 9 patients were treated with VAC, 8 of whom were men, and the mean age was 69.6 years old. Seven patients underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass, and 2 underwent a valve replacement. Six of them had diabetes, 5 had renal dysfunction (4 were dialysis patients), and 2 had chronic obstructive lung disease. Six cases were classified as superficial sternal infection (Superficial) and 3 as a deep sternal infection (Deep). Superficial cases were healed with wound closure after a short period of VAC treatment. However, Deep cases required long duration of VAC treatment and wound closure with a myocutaneous flap in 2 cases, although all of them did not develop mediastinitis requiring closed irrigation and drainage. In 9 cases, with numerous risk factors for poor healing, we found that VAC treatment facilitated wound healing and reduced frequent painful wound care.
@Jpn. J. Cardiovasc. Surg. 35: 127-131 (2006)
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