Treatment of open sternal wounds with the vacuum-assisted closure system: A safe, reliable method

Sternal dehiscence following median sternotomy for cardiac surgery may require a series of debridements and dressing changes before wound closure can be accomplished. The Vacuum-Assisted Closure sponge with a silicone sheet has been used in five patients to increase granulation tissue formation in the wound and decrease the number of dressing changes required before wound closure. A thin sheet of silicone is fixed to the posterior sponge surface before placing the sponge with the silicone sheet over the epicardium. The silicone interface between the sponge and the epicardium prevents adherence of the sponge to the surface of the heart, great vessels, and coronary bypass grafts. The sponge can be used safely and easily in these patients by eliminating the contact of the sponge with the epicardium.