Primary closure using Redon drains for the treatment of post-sternotomy mediastinitis

Post-sternotomy mediastinitis is a severe complication of open heart surgery resulting in prolonged hospital stay and increased mortality. Vacuum-assisted closure is commonly used as treatment for post-sternotomy mediastinitis, but has some disadvantages. Primary closure over high vacuum suction Redon drains previously has shown to be an alternative approach with promising results. We report our short- and long-term results of Redon therapy-treated mediastinitis.

We performed a retrospective analysis of 124 patients who underwent primary closure of the sternum over Redon drains as treatment for post-sternotomy mediastinitis in Amphia Hospital (Breda, Netherlands) and St. Antonius Hospital (Nieuwegein, Netherlands). Patient characteristics, preoperative risk factors and procedure-related variables were analysed. Duration of therapy, hospital stay, treatment failure and mortality as well as C-reactive protein and blood leucocyte counts on admission and at various time intervals during hospital stay were determined.

Mean age of patients was 68.7 ± 11.0 years. In 77.4%, the primary surgery was coronary artery bypass grafting. Presentation of mediastinitis was 15.2 ± 9.8 days after surgery. Duration of Redon therapy was 25.9 ± 18.4 days. Hospital stay was 32.8 ± 20.7 days. Treatment failure occurred in 8.1% of patients. In-hospital mortality was 8.9%. No risk factors were found for mortality or treatment failure. The median follow-up time was 6.6 years. One- and 5-year survivals were 86 and 70%, respectively.

Primary closure using Redon drains is a feasible, simple and efficient treatment modality for post-sternotomy mediastinitis.