[Postoperative sternomediastinitis: morphology of lesion, treatment strategy]. / Posleoperatsionnyi sternomediastinit: morfologiya porazheniya, taktika lecheniya.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze bone tissue damage at different stages of disease (El Oakley classification), treatment options for each clinical situation and results after each approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 45 patients with wound complications after cardiac surgery between October 2022 and September 2023. Thirty-eight (84.4%) patients underwent CABG, 7 (15.6%) patients - heart valve or aortic surgery. Mean age of patients was 68.1±10.3 years. There were 35 men (77.8%) and 10 women (22.2%). The first type was found in 11 (24.5%) patients, type 2-3 - 19 (42.2%), type 4 - 4 (8.8%), type 5 - 11 (24.5%) patients. RESULTS: Systemic inflammatory response syndrome was observed in 7 (36.8%) persons of the 1st group, 14 (73.7%) ones of the 2nd group, 4 (100%) patients of the 3rd group and 2 (18.2%) patients of the 4th group. C-reactive protein and procalcitonin increased in all patients with the highest values in groups 2 and 3. Redo soft tissue inflammation occurred in all groups after treatment. Mean incidence was 25%. Two (10.5%) patients died in the 2nd group and 1 (25%) patient in the 3rd group. CONCLUSION: The modern classification of sternomediastinitis does not fully characterize severity of disease in a particular patient. Simultaneous debridement with wound closure demonstrates acceptable mortality (within 10%). The highest mortality rate was observed in patients with diffuse lesions of the sternum. Less aggressive treatment approaches are possible for stable anterior chest wall.

[A new paradigm for the treatment of sternomediastinitis]. / Novaya paradigma lecheniya sternomediastinita.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of simultaneous surgical treatment of sternomediastinitis compared to stage-by-stage approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 27 patients between October 2022 and March 2023. All patients underwent heart surgery through median sternotomy. There were 11 (40.7%) women and 16 (59.3%) men. Mean age of patients was 68.4±9.8 years. All patients were divided into 2 groups: 12 patients underwent partial necrectomy and vacuum wound therapy (or long-term dressings) before surgery (group 1), 15 patients underwent surgery without prior conservative treatment (group 2). RESULTS: The most common causative agent of infection was staphylococcus (48.1%). In all patients, we found histological signs of osteomyelitis. Preoperative clinical status was similar in both groups. There were differences in the following indicators: C-reactive protein upon admission - 74.9±18.6 versus 94.8±23.8 mg/l, procalcitonin - 0.13 [0.02; 1.43] versus 0.21 [0.02; 0.94] ng/ml. Postoperative outcomes were similar in both groups. Mortality was 8.3% (n=1) and 13.3% (n=2), respectively. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous combined surgical treatment (sequestrectomy + muscle flap grafting) demonstrates optimal results in the treatment of sternomediastinitis.

[Pathogenetic treatment of postoperative sternomediastinitis]. / Patogeneticheski obosnovannyi sposob lecheniya posleoperatsionnogo sternomediastinita.

Sternotomy is the most common surgical approach for cardiac surgery. Incidence of postoperative sternal diastasis and wound suppuration ranges from 0.11 to 10%. We present a variant of one-stage surgical treatment of patients with these postoperative complications. Surgical tactics and features of postoperative period are described in detail. Pathogenetic approach to the treatment is substantiated. This approach can be used in patients with aseptic diastasis of the sternum and sternomediastinitis.

[Surgical treatment of sternal osteomyelitis and sternomediastinitis following cardiac surgery]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie osteomielita grudiny i sternomediastinita vsledstvie kardiokhirurgicheskikh operatsii.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence of cardiac surgeries and postoperative sternal osteomyelitis/sternomediastinitis, as well as treatment outcomes in these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We summarized 171 patients with postoperative sternal osteomyelitis and sternomediastinitis. RESULTS: Organization of the Khabarovsk center for cardiovascular surgery in the Far Eastern Federal District was followed by 7.9- and 24.9-fold increase of the number of cardiac surgeries and CABG in 2005-2019, respectively. As a result, the number of patients with sternal osteomyelitis and sternomediastinitis after cardiac surgery increased from 0.50±0.10 to 1.59±0.17 cases per 100.000 (t=3.01; p<0.01). CPB and aortic clamping time (t=3.97; p<0.01), as well as surgery time (t=2.4; p<0.05) were significant risk factors of early postoperative complications. Two-stage surgical treatment of postoperative sternal osteomyelitis and sternomediastinitis (removal of ligatures and foreign bodies, sternal curettage with removal of sequesters at the first stage; resection of sternum with chest wall repair at the second stage) reduced hospital-stay from 31.9±13.4 to 29.2±10.8 days.

[Treatment of postoperative anterior mediastinitis, sternal osteomyelitis in a patient with a novel coronavirus infection]. / Lechenie posleoperatsionnogo perednego mediastinita, osteomielita grudiny u patsientki s novoi koronavirusnoi infektsiei (COVID-19).

The incidence of mediastinitis after median sternotomy makes up 1-3%. This complication results prolonged hospital-stay, significant increase in treatment cost and high mortality (up to 75%). Severe COVID-19 pneumonia is often manifested by coughing, that impairs sternum stability after osteosynthesis. Moreover, concomitant leukopenia increases the risk of mediastinitis. Viral pneumonia and mediastinitis are complicated by respiratory failure and mutually potentiate the negative effect. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with combined antibiotic therapy ensures a favorable outcome even in patients with postoperative mediastinitis and osteomyelitis combined with viral pneumonia.

[Additional vascularization of the omental flap using mammary-gastroepiploic bypass grafting in the treatment of deep sternal wound infection]. / Mammaro-gastroepiploichnoe shuntirovanie kak sposob dopolnitel'noi vaskulyarizatsii transplantata pri torakoomentoplastike u patsienta so sternomediastinitom.

Incidence of postoperative sternomediastinitis depends on various risk factors and makes up 8%. Surgical debridement with local management of the wound are used to achieve wound sterility. In some cases, sternectomy or subtotal sternal resection are performed for total sternal osteomyelitis with osteoporotic bone and multiple fractures. This procedure results an extensive bone defect. The final stage is anterior chest wall reconstruction. The most popular method is wound closure with autologous muscle or omental flaps. The authors describe a patient with sternomediastinitis who underwent staged treatment. At the final stage, subtotal sternectomy with simultaneous omentoplasty were performed. Additionally, mammary-gastroepiploic bypass grafting with right internal mammary artery and right gastroepiploic artery was carried out for additional vascularization of the omental flap. We found no similar surgery for sternomediastinitis in the literature. Long-term treatment outcome was followed-up (>50 months of relapse-free period and good quality of life).

[Negative pressure wound therapy for deep sternal wound infections: microbiological characteristics and antibiotic resistance]. / Vliyanie vakuum-assistirovannoi povyazki na lechenie glubokoi infektsii grudiny: bakteriologicheskii analiz i antibiotikorezistentnost'.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate bacterial flora in patients with deep sternal wound infection and the effect of negative pressure wound therapy on eradication of the pathogen. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 102 patients with deep wound infection after cardiac surgery. Mean age was 66.9±9.9 years. Diabetes mellitus was detected in 21 (20.5%) cases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - in 15 (14.7%). Wound debridement via daily dressings was performed in 64 patients; vacuum-assisted dressings were applied in 38 patients. Bacteriological analysis of discharge was carried out every week.Results. Mixed infection was observed in 38 (37.3%) patients. S.aureus was the most common pathogen (n=51, 50%), Gram negative bacteria were found in 36 (35.3%) patients. Negative pressure wound therapy ensured eradication of S.aureus within 3 weeks while dressings were associated with only 40% decrease of the incidence of positive analyses (p<0.05). Effectiveness of the method was not obtained for Gram negative bacteria. CONCLUSION: Negative pressure wound therapy accelerates eradication of Gram positive pathogens but does not affect eradication of Gram negative microbes.

[Thoracoabdominal hernia after treatment of chronic sterno-mediastinitis]. / Torakoabdominal'nye gryzhi posle lecheniia bol'nykh khronicheskim sternomediastinitom.

AIM: To analyze clinical course and develop surgical technique for thoracoabdominal hernia in patients after previous sterno-mediastinitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 7 (20%) patients aged 53-69 years with thoracoabdominal hernia after previous cardiac surgery followed by postoperative sterno-mediastinitis. Thoracoomentoplasty was used for treatment of this complication. There were 2 males and 5 females. RESULTS: All patients underwent surgery aimed at translocation of the organs from mediastinum to abdominal cavity, restoring normal anatomical location of stomach, transverse colon and large omentum, stabilizing the thorax and closing the defects in the diaphragm and anterior abdominal wall. CONCLUSION: Surgical indications are justified by stomach and transverse colon dysfunction due to their displacement to the mediastinum with threat of strangulation, cardiac compression by hernial sac, as well as chest instability. Combined approach allows to achieve recovery in all patients.

[Combined thoracoplasty using titanium mesh implant in patients with total sternal instability following postoperative sternomediastinitis]. / Kombinirovannaia torakoplastika setchatym titanovym éndoprotezom u patsientov s total'noi nestabil'nost'iu grudiny v iskhode khronicheskogo posleoperatsionnogo sternomediastinita.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of chest wall reconstruction with titanium mesh implant in patients with total sternal instability following postoperative sternomediastinitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 100 patients with total sternal instability for the period from January 2016 to December 2018. Median of age was 62 (58; 68) years. Male/female ratio was 82/18. All patients were treated in accordance with standardized protocol. Postoperative complications were assessed using Clavien-Dindo scale. Staged surgical treatment including one or more debridement procedures before the final thoracoplasty was performed in 62 (62%) out of 100 patients. Aseptic sternal instability was observed in 38 patients. RESULTS: Follow-up period ranged from 3 weeks to 35 months after the final thoracoplasty. Complicated postoperative period occurred in 15 (15%) out of 100 patients (95% CI 9.3-23.3). One patient died in 9 days after surgery from acute heart failure. Complications without need for redo surgery, postoperative wound suppuration and seroma were noted in 3 patients. Redo surgery was required in 11 patients due to postoperative wound suppuration, eventration after thoracoomentoplasty, intermuscular hematoma and delayed divergence of major pectoral muscles. Removal of mesh implant was performed in 1 out of 100 patient (95% CI 0.2-5.5) in 7 days after surgery due to suppuration. There was no recurrent sternal instability within 30 days. CONCLUSION: Anterior chest wall reconstruction using titanium mesh implant is an effective and safe procedure in patients with postoperative sternal instability following postoperative sternomediastinitis.