Vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of poststernotomy mediastinitis in the paediatric patient

Delayed sternal closure after paediatric open heart procedure is often necessary. The risk of delayed sternal closure is infection: superficial wound or sternal and mediastinal infection. The incidence of sternal wound infection reported in the literature varies from 0.5 to 10%. The mortality for poststernotomy deep sternal infection continues to be high--from 14 to 47%. Established treatment includes surgical debridement, drainage and irrigation, antibiotics, frequent change of wound dressing and direct or secondary closure with omentum or pectoral muscle flap.Between October 2003 and August 2005, three children, aged from 9 days to 2 years and who had developed severe mediastinitis after cardiac surgery were treated with the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) system.The duration of VAC treatment ranged from 12 to 21 days. The response to VAC was rapid with local purulence and C-reactive protein (CRP) both decreasing within 72 h in all cases. After good granulation was obtained, two patients required a thin skin graft.All three children had peritoneal dialysis which did not permit omental use. The use of pectoralis major is a difficult technique in neonates and the haemodynamic conditions were poor in our cases. The VAC technique is a good indication in post-cardiotomy mediastinitis in children: it plays a role in the reduction of infection and provides good healing.