Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Audit of 37 cases of deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) following 2418 coronary artery bypass graftings (CABGs)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aim

The purpose of this paper is to study the incidence of deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) after median sternotomy, its correlation to demographic data, diabetes mellitus (DM), choice of vessels used for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), microbiological wound status, and outcome of surgical management in terms of complete wound healing, postoperative stay, and mortality.

Methods

A total of 2418 patients who underwent CABG through median sternotomy from January 2005 to December 2013 were included in the study. DSWI was found in 37 patients. Logistic regression, Fisher’s exact test, and chi-squared test were used to find association, and a p value of <0.05 was considered as significant.

Results

Incidence of DSWI in our study is 1.53 %. In the whole population, M: F ratio was 5:1. Commonest age group of DSWI was 61 to 70 years. Out of 2418 patients, 1035 patients were diabetic, of which 31 (3 %) developed DSWI (p value 0.001). Out of these, in 1034 patients, bilateral internal mammary arteries (BIMAs) were used and 30 (2.9 %) patients developed DSWI (p value 0.030). Postoperative stays were longer for patients with multiple organisms in their culture (p value 0.029). Pectoralis muscle flaps were done in 30 patients, omentum with pectoralis in 2 patients, and simple suturing in 1 patient. Median hospital stay after definitive wound closure was 8 days. Wound healing was achieved in 79 % patients at the end of 2 weeks. Mortality after definitive wound closure was 6.06 %.

Conclusions

DM is independent risk factor for DSWI. Use of BIMA in patients with DM increases the risk of DSWI. Aggressive wound debridement and early closure is associated with low mortality and shorter hospital stay.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Julian OC, Lopez-Belio M, Dye WS, Javid H, Grove WJ. The median sternal incision in intracardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation: a general evaluation of its use in heart surgery. Surgery. 1957;42:753–61.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Landes G, Harris PG, Sampalis JS, et al. Outcomes in the management of sternal dehiscence by plastic surgery: a ten-year review in one university center. Ann Plast Surg. 2007;59:659–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Loop FD, Lytle BW, Cosgrove DM, Mahfood S, McHenry MC, Goormastic M, Stewart RW, Golding LA, Taylor PCJ. Maxwell Chamberlain memorial paper. sternal wound complications after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting: early and late mortality, morbidity, and cost of care. Ann Thorac Surg. 1990;49:179–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Jones G, Jurkiewicz MJ, Bostwick J, et al. Management of the infected median sternotomy wound with muscle flaps the Emory 20 year experience. Ann Surg. 1997;225:766–78.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Garner JS, Jarvis WR, Emori TG, et al. CDC definitions for nosocomial infections. Am J Infect Control. 1988;16:128–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ridderstolpe L, Gill H, Granfeldt H, Ahlfeldt H, Rutberge H. Superficial and deep sternal wound complications: incidence, risk factors and mortality. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2001;20:1168–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lu JC, Grayson AD, Jha P, Sirinivasan AK, Fabri BM. Risk factors for sternal wound infection and mid-term survival following coronary artery bypass surgery. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2003;23:943–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Diez C, Koch D, Kuss O, Silber RE, Friedrich I, Boergermann J. Risk factors for mediastinitis after cardiac surgery—a retrospective analysis of 1, 700 patients. J Cardiothoracic Surg. 2007;2:23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Stahle E, Tammelin A, Bergstrom R, Hambreus A, Nystrome SO, Hansson HE. Sternal wound complications prevalence, microbiology and risk factors. Eur J Cardiothoracic Surg. 1997;11:1146–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Risnes I, Abdelnoor M, Almdahl SM, Svennevig JL. Mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting risk factors and long term survival. Ann Thorac Surg. 2010;89:1502–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Borger M, Rao V, Weisel R, et al. Deep sternal wound infection: risk factors and outcomes. Ann Thorac Surg. 1998;65:1050–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Farsky PS, Graner H, Duccini P, et al. Risk factors for sternal wound infections and application of the STS score in coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc. 2011;26:624–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Sofer D, Gurevitch J, Shapira I, et al. Sternal wound infections in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting using bilateral skeletonized internal mammary arteries. Ann Surg. 1999;229:585–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Lytle BW, Blackstone E, Loop LD, et al. Two internal thoracic artery grafts are better than than one. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1999;117:855–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schmidt SE, Jones JW, Thornby JI, Miller CC, Beall JC. Improved survival with multiple left sided bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts. Ann Thorac Surg. 1997;64:9–15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Dai C, Lu Z, Zhu H, et al. Bilateral internal mammary artery grafting and risk of sternal wound infection: evidence from observational studies. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013;95:1938–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Agrifoglio M, Trezzi M, Barili F, et al. Double vs single internal thoracic artery harvesting in diabetic patients: role in perioperative infection rate. J Cardiothorac Surg. 2008;3:35.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Wong CH, Senewirantne S, Garlick B, Mullany D. Two staged management of sternal wound infection using bilateral pectoralis major advancement flap. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2006;30:148–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Francel TJ, Kouchoukos NT. A rational approach to wound difficulties after sternotomy: reconstruction and long term results. Ann Thorac Surg. 2001;72:1419–29.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Jeevanandam V, Smith CR, Rose EA, Malm JR, Hugo NE. Single stage management of sternal wound infections. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1990;99:256–62.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hugo NE, Sultan MR, Ascherman JA, Patsis MC, Smith CR, Rose EA. Single staged management of 74 consecutive sternal wound complications with pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1994;93:1433–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Ascherman JA, Patel BA, Malhotra SM, Smith CR. Management of sternal wounds with bilateral pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps in 114 consecutive treated patients: refinements in technique and outcome analysis. Plast Recnstr Surg. 2004;114:676–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Perkins DJ, Hunt JA, Pehnington DG, Stern HS. Secondary sternal repair following median sternotomy using interosseous absorbable sutures and pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps. Br J Plast Surg. 1996;49:214–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Moreschi AH, Neto AVM, Barbosa GV, Saueressig MG. Aggressive treatment using muscle flaps or omentopexy in infections of sternum and anterior mediastinum following sternotomy. J Bras Pneumol. 2008;34:654–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Falagas ME, Tansarli GS, Kapaskelis A, Vardakas KZ. Impact of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy on clinical outcomes of patients with sternal wound infections: a meta-analysis of non-randomized studies. PLoS ONE. 2013;8:e64741.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Lo S, Hutson K, Hallam MJ, Soldin M. The importance of early flap coverage in deep sternal wounds. Ann of Plastic Surg. 2014;73:588–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Biefer HRC, Sundermann SH, Emmert MY, et al. Negative microbiological results are not mandatory in deep sternal wound infections before wound closure. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2012;42:306–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Tocco MP, Ballardini M, Masala M, Perozzi A. Post-sternotomy chronic osteomyelitis: is sternal resection always necessary? Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2013;43:715–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Schimmer C, Keith P, Neukam K, Beissert M, Leyh R. Large thoracic wall hematoma following sternal reconstruction with transversal plate fixation after deep sternal wound infection. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007;55:402–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Gaudreau G, Costache V, Houde C, et al. Recurrent sternal infection following treatment with negative pressure wound therapy and titanium transverse plate fixation. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2010;37:888–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Chang EI, Festekjian JH, Miller TA, Ardehali A, Rudkin GH. Chest wall reconstruction for sternal dehiscence after open heart surgery. Ann Plast Surg. 2013;71:84–7.

  32. Sahasrabudhe P, Jagtap R, Waykole P, Panse N, Bhargava P, Patwardhan S. Our experience with pectoralis major flap for management of sternal dehiscence: a review of 25 cases. Indian J Plast Surg. 2011;44:405–13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Parag Sahasrabudhe.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Funding

This study was not funded.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 12 Master chart

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sahasrabudhe, P., Jagtap, R., Jadhav, A. et al. Audit of 37 cases of deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) following 2418 coronary artery bypass graftings (CABGs). Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 32, 103–112 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12055-016-0425-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12055-016-0425-6

Keywords

Navigation