Surgical treatment of mediastinitis: The vertical bolstered Donati stitch.

Deep sternal wound infection is a major complication of cardiac surgery, with a low incidence but with catastrophic consequences in terms of morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs. Negative pressure wound therapy and appropriately timed sternal revision, with or without muscle flap mobilization, can improve the outcomes. This video tutorial illustrates the technical aspects of the surgical treatment of mediastinitis with the Robicsek method for sternal closure and an original wound closure technique, very effective and much simpler than the pectoral muscle flap technique.