[Postoperative wound complications in cardiosurgery]

Presented in the article are the results of examination and treatment of 65 patients with infectious wound complications of the sternotomic injury after open heart surgery. The main risk factors for their development in our patients were as follows: obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, severe heart failure, prolonged operation, sternal instability. The leading pathogenic microorganisms were Gram positive staphylococci. Treatment varied from prolonged antibiotic therapy with surgical debridement of the wound to subtotal resection of the sternum with various plastic reconstructive interventions. The scope of treatment was determined by the type and severity of infectious wound complications. Due to lack of standardized approaches in diagnosis, treatment and prevention this problem remains to be of current importance.