Post-sternotomy chronic osteomyelitis: is sternal resection always necessary?

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate alternative strategies to the sternal resection in the treatment of post-sternotomy osteomyelitis. We report our experience in the treatment of chronic infection of median sternotomy following open heart surgery without sternal resection.

Methods: A 4-year retrospective study was performed, consisting of 70 patients affected by post-sternotomy sternocutaneous fistulas due to chronic osteomyelitis: 45 patients underwent only medical treatment and 25 underwent steel wire removal and surgical debridement (conservative surgery).

Feasibility and efficacy of minimally invasive stand-alone surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. A single-center experience.

Purpose: Minimally invasive surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has shown good results and low complications incidence. Our objective was to evaluate feasibility and efficacy of this technique in our center.

Methods: The procedure included pulmonary vein isolation, ganglionic plexi ablation, ligament of Marshall resection, and left atrial appendage exclusion through beating heart minimally invasive bilateral thoracotomies.

Improved results of the vacuum assisted closure and Nitinol clips sternal closure after postoperative deep sternal wound infection.

Objective: Postoperative deep sternal wound infection is a severe complication of cardiac surgery, with a high mortality rate and a high morbidity rate. The objective of this prospective study is to report our experience with the vacuum assisted closure (VAC) system for the management of deep wound infection. We also devised an innovative closure technique post VAC therapy using thermo reactive clips.

An unusual case of three synchronous tumors in a young woman.

The occurrence in the same young patient of three synchronous tumors deriving from different embryogenic tissues and without a clear correlation with a common etiopathogenic factor is very unusual. We report a case of a Caucasian woman submitted to wide resection of a large retroperitoneal liposarcoma and right radical nephrectomy for suspected tumor infiltration. Histological examination of the right ureter and renal pelvis showed the presence of a multifocal urothelial carcinoma that was clinically asymptomatic.