Impact of vacuum-assisted closure therapy on outcomes of sternal wound dehiscence†.

Objectives: Sternal wound dehiscence (SWD) after cardiac surgery is a rare but serious condition associated with considerable costs and morbidity. We sought to evaluate the results of the introduction of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in the management of sternal wound dehiscence, compared with those of previous conventional treatments.

Methods: We retrospectively collected 7148 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution between January 2002 and June 2012.