Repair of sternal dehiscence with titanium mesh plates: the sandwich technique.

Sternal dehiscence after cardiac surgery occurs infrequently and can lead to mediastinitis and prolonged hospital stay and may even result in death. The most common treatment for mechanical sternal instability is rewiring with wound debridement. We present a case in which a modified titanium mesh plate fixation technique was used. A safe and easy to perform technique, this method can be an alternative option to wire closure in a sternum with fractures, instability or poor bone quality. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.