Abstract
Background: Deep sternal wound infection after open heart surgery is a life-threatening complication. Recently, continuous local antibiotic perfusion (CLAP) has become one of the standard modalities to treat infected wounds in the field of orthopedic surgery. We have introduced CLAP for treatment of surgical site infection after cardiovascular surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical course of 6 patients treated with CLAP for deep postoperative sternal infection in combination with early sternal closure since 2019 at our hospital. All 6 patients were able to control the infection and were discharged from the hospital. Except for one patient who required long-term respiratory ventilation due to concurrent heart failure and pneumonia, all patients were weaned from the ventilator in an average of 2.5 days. In all but one case, omentum flap replacement was unnecessary. Conclusion: Treatment of deep sternal infection after open heart surgery by early sternal closure with the aid of CLAP was effective.
