the Most experienced surgeons in Sternal Fixation
Over 500,000 cases of open-heart surgery are performed annually in the United States. These typically involve “cracking the chest” to gain access to the heart. When the sternum is split down the middle in this way, the bone then needs to be closed. Typically, this is done using wire to wrap or circle the halves of the sternum together.
In some cases, however, the bone fails to come back together and heal properly, a complication known as nonunion. This can lead to pain, discomfort, and instability in the patient. Patients have better sternal healing and reduced sternal pain with the use of rigid plate fixation when this occurs.
Drs. Mehan and Johnson perform these sternal reconstruction surgeries at Dominion Plastic Surgery.
What is sternal fixation?
Similar to the way other bones in the body can be put back together with plates and screws, sternal fixation involves using multiple plates and screws to secure the two halves of the sternum back in place. These plates can be contoured and cut to fit the specific area, so the fixation is unique to each patient.
Why would someone need sternal fixation?
Imagine trying to walk on a broken leg… that's what trying to move and breathe with sternal nonunion can be like. Sternal fixation is a solution to help pain after cardiac surgery.
What results can sternal Fixation achieve?
Sternal fixation with Drs. Mehan and Johnson can reverse the symptoms of complex sternal nonunion, where the patient has potential infection, loss of function, and chronic pain.
By using rigid plating to reconnect the sternum, sternal reconstruction can achieve complete sternal healing. This enables patients to regain functional capacity. This procedure is particularly useful for high-risk patients where there is a high risk of the sternum not healing with conventional wire closure.
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