First Report on Rigid Plate Fixation for Enhanced Sternal Closure in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Safety and...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) necessitates effective sternal closure techniques.
• Rigid-plate fixation (RPF) is a novel system for sternal closure post-MICS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and feasibility of RPF for sternal closure in MICS.
• To assess in-hospital and sternal complications, including pain, associated with RPF.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing MICS with RPF.
• Inclusion of 9 patients from June to December 2023.
• Analysis of in-hospital stay, mobilization, pain, and sternal complications at discharge and follow-up (7-14 months).

Main Results:

• RPF was successfully performed in all 9 included patients.
• Zero in-hospital mortality and no sternal complications (dehiscence, infection, instability) reported.
• Median Visual Analog Scale pain score was 0 at long-term follow-up, with 44% reporting pain at rest.

Conclusions:

• RPF demonstrates safety and feasibility for sternal closure in MICS.
• This technique may become a valuable tool in reducing surgical burden.
• RPF shows potential for improved patient recovery in cardiac surgery.