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Bridging the cleft over the throbbing heart

John Mathai1, Vijit Koshy Cherian, Jacob Chacko

  • 1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. paedsur@cmcvellore.ac.in

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|November 28, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Primary repair of sternal cleft deformities is most successful in newborns. A novel technique involving clavicle fracturing can address challenging cases where sternal approximation is difficult.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Congenital Abnormalities
  • Thoracic Reconstruction

Background:

  • Sternal cleft deformities require timely surgical intervention, ideally in the neonatal period.
  • Achieving sternal approximation is crucial for functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Observation:

  • Most sternal clefts can be repaired by converting partial defects to complete ones and mobilizing the sternal bar.
  • Some cases present significant challenges to sternal approximation.

Findings:

  • A new technique involving fracturing the clavicles was successfully employed in a 6-week-old infant with an unyielding sternal cleft.
  • This method facilitated sternal approximation in a complex pediatric case.

Implications:

  • Fracturing the clavicles offers a viable solution for previously unyielding sternal cleft deformities.
  • This technique expands the surgical options for treating complex congenital sternal defects in infants.

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