Sternal safety blade for median or transverse sternotomy.

Sternal safety blades are useful for splitting the sternum in approaching the anterior, superior, or middle mediastinum for the removal of lesions of the thymus, exploration of parathyroid adenomas, removal of large substernal thyroids, open heart procedures, and traumatic chest injuries. One of the chief indications for using the safety blade is in patients undergoing second open heart procedures, since the anterior mediastinum is markedly reduced in size, thus making the heart and great vessels vulnerable to injury.