The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · May 2019
Comparative StudyAdvances in managing the noninfected open chest after cardiac surgery: Negative-pressure wound therapy.
The objective of this study was to compare safety and clinical effectiveness of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with traditional wound therapy for managing noninfected open chests with delayed sternal closure after cardiac surgery. ⋯ NPWT is safe and effective for managing noninfected open chests after cardiac surgery. By facilitating open-chest management and potentially improving outcomes, it has become our therapy of choice and perhaps has lowered our threshold for leaving the chest open after cardiac surgery.