2018•PubMedRequires access
[Treatment of Mediastinitis after Open Heart Surgery Using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Irrigation].
Kazuchika Suzuki, Naoyuki Ishigami, Satoshi Akuzawa
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Abstract
Mediastinitis occurs after open heart surgery in a small number of cases. When it occurs, early diagnosis and treatment are important. A 69-year-old male patient suffered from mediastinitis after total aortic arch replacement. He has cured completely by negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with irrigation method. The vacuum-assisted closure( VAC) method is very useful for wound repair and has recently been used to treat mediastinitis. However, the use of VAC alone does not always result in complete cure. NPWT with irrigation is a very useful infection control method. Performing NPWT before VAC might contribute to improving the outcomes of mediastinitis treatment. However, it is difficult to decide when to switch from NPWT with irrigation to VAC.