Sternal reconstruction and omentoplasty after mediastinitis

Deep sternal infections are serious complications after open heart surgery. We present a case of a 59-year-old female with uncontrolled diabetes who underwent aortocoronary bypass surgery in another cardiac surgery department. After the surgical intervention sternal dehiscence and wound infection occurred, which was followed by two unsuccessful attempts for sternal refixation. Two months after the initial procedure the patient was admitted to our institution with severe dyspnea and paradoxical movement of the thorax. Computed tomography revealed a huge defect of the sternum and metal osteosynthesis with a titanium plate and omentoplasty was performed. The patient was followed-up for one year with excellent postoperative result.

Forms of sternal reconstruction in oncology

INTRODUCTION. Chest wall tumors represent a variety of morphological forms and variants of lesions. According to different authors, primary malignant tumors of the chest wall account for 0.2–2 % of all malignant neoplasms. Of them, soft tissue sarcomas constitute about 45 %. Metastatic tumors of the chest wall occur much more frequently and most commonly develop from malignant tumors of the mammary, prostate and thyroid glands, lungs, kidneys and ovaries.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The standard of the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors of the chest wall is combination or comprehensive therapy. In some cases, preoperative care allows to create a more favorable environment for performing surgical treatment being considered the best option for chest wall tumors. The choice of a technique for the replacement of the post-resection chest wall defect is of special importance to preserve the physiological chest volume, to restore chest rigidity, to prevent paradoxical respiration and to seal the pleural cavity.RESULTS. There are different surgical techniques for skeleton reconstruction. A wide range of materials used for a skeleton reconstruction include bone tissues obtained from patient’s own body (bone autoplasty, autografts), polymeric mesh (polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex), bone cement (polymethyl methacrylate), stainless steel and titanium constructions as well as titanium bars and rib clips (STRATOS). In spite of a large number of techniques for sternal reconstruction described in the literature, searching for new materials and ways of their usage appears relevant.CONCLUSION. Our clinical case studies demonstrate that modern reconstructive techniques combined with careful surgical planning allow to perform radical surgery with a successful outcome preventing serious postoperative complications.

Sternal cavernous hemangioma and reconstruction of the anterior chest wall: a case report

Background The sternum is considered an unusual tumor site, corresponding to 15% of all thoracic wall tumors. Primary sternal tumors are even rarer and most commonly malignant. We present the case of a young man who consulted with a painful sternal mass, which after its resection is confirmed to be a cavernous hemangioma. Case presentation A 39-year-old man, with unremarkable medical history besides a 2-year-long sternal pain, non-irradiated, which worsens over the last few months and is accompanied by the appearance of a sternal palpable mass. On physical exam, there was a bulging of the sternal manubrium, with no inflammatory changes. Thoracic CT scan shows an expansive and lytic lesion of the sternum, compromising the manubrium and extending to the third sternocostal joint, without intrathoracic compromise nor cleavage plane with mediastinal vascular structures. The patient is taken to resection of the mass and sternal reconstruction using prosthetic material and pectoral and fasciocutaneous muscular flaps. Histopathological findings: cavernous hemangioma with negative borders and no other malignant findings. Conclusions Sternal hemangiomas can cause defects in the bone structure and show an expansive growth, challenging the differentiation between a benign or malignant lesion. Therefore, they should be considered malignant until shown otherwise. Management involves radical surgery with curative purposes and posterior reconstruction to improve quality of life, as shown with our patient.