Sternal Reconstruction With Omental and Pectoralis Flaps

Abstract

Sternal wound infections are a life-threatening complication of cardiovascular surgery, and management can present a great challenge for the plastic surgeon. Successful treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach, immediate detection, meticulous debridement, and delivery of vascularized tissue to the infected wound bed. Twenty-nine years experience of a single surgeon in 415 sternal wound reconstructions is retrospectively analyzed. Flap choice was based on the amount of vascularized tissue required. Low-risk, early infections were treated with debridement and a single flap. Large, high-risk wounds were treated with multiple debridements and covered with a combination of flaps to reduce infection and eliminate dead space. Immediate wound closure with aggressive debridement and flap coverage in a single-stage early in the series (first 12 patients, 1980-1981) led to a mortality rate of 25% due to sepsis and cardiovascular instability. Thereafter, treatment was altered, and patient stability and wound preparation were emphasized, often requiring multiple debridements (91% of all patients). Nine percent of patients, with early low-risk infections, underwent single-stage rewiring and coverage with pectoralis or omental flaps. Coverage of multiple debrided purulent wounds was performed using pectoralis major flap (37% of total number of patients), omentum (18%), a pectoralis/omentum combination (34%), or rectus abdominis flap (2%). A multistage approach and use of 2 flaps for coverage resulted in a 1.5% mortality due to sepsis, 2.5% infection rate, 1.5% skin necrosis rate, and 1.5% hematoma/seroma rate. The use of multiple flaps in large, complex wounds resulted in a complication rate similar to smaller wounds covered with a single flap. In all, 3.5% of the patients required a salvage operation with alternate flaps. This large series demonstrates the importance of early detection of infection, meticulous staged debridement of nonviable tissue, and elimination of dead space with multiple vascularized flaps.