Transposition of the great omentum for infected sternotomy wounds in cardiac surgery. Report of 16 cases and review of published reports.

The expanding indications for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and cardiac valves replacement have caused an increase in the number of sternal infections. The common treatment includes appropriate antibiotics, early debridement, and transposition of muscle flaps with or without skin grafts. When other treatments have proved unsatisfactory, we have used the great omentum for wound closure. During the last five years, 16 patients (10 women, six men, median age 63 years) underwent repair of infected sternotomy wounds by the transposition of the great omentum, after failure of pectoralis major or rectus abdominis muscle flaps (n = 9). Seven patients underwent transposition of the great omentum as the first choice. The omentum covers the sternal defect well and the closure was reliable.