Abstract:

Aim: Post-sternotomy mediastinitis is one of the important problems of cardiac surgery. Mortality in patients with mediastinitis is considerably high. Negative pressure wound closure system (VAC) is used for the treatment of superficial chronic wounds. We wanted to share our experiences with VAK use in patients who were operated with sternotomy and developed postoperative wound infection. Material and Methods: 2474 patients who had undergone open heart surgery since 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 87 patients who applied with the complaint of the wound site infection were included in the study. While 49 patients were received only open wound dressings, 38 patients were received VAC treatment. Results: The mean age of the group treated with VAK was 63.35 ± 1.15, while it was 65.06 ± 2.94 in the open dressing group. The mean BMI of the VAC treatment group was 27.83 ± 4.69, while it was 27.93 ± 4.68 in the open dressing group. When the two groups were compared in terms of mortality, there was no statistical difference between the two groups. The mean hospital stay of the VAK group was 26.33 ± 11.67, while it was 42.26 ± 5.24 in the open dressing group. There is a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p˂0.005). Conclusion: VAC systems are a good option in the treatment of mediastinitis, which is an important complication of cardiac surgery. Both our and other studies in the literature have clearly shown that even if the application methods of each clinic are different, when used correctly, it has considerable benefits.

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