Background: This study aims to investigate the effect of the Jackson-Pratt drain on sternal wound complications in patients with a Body Mass Index of ≥30 kg/m² undergoing open cardiac surgery via median sternotomy.

Methods: A total of 174 patients (124 males, 50 females; mean age 58.2±10.4 years; range, 33 to 78 years) with a Body Mass Index of ≥30 kg/m² undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy between January 2011 and December 2015 in our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 94 were inserted a Jackson-Pratt drain (JP group) following median sternotomy, while 80 patients received no drain (non-JP group). Pre-, intra, and postoperative outcomes of both groups including type of operation, length of hospital stay, and complications were compared.

Results: No significant difference in the age, gender, Body Mass Index, and potential risk factors was found between the groups. The median of stay in the intensive care unit was two days and the median time from operation to discharge was seven days in both groups. There was a statistically significant difference in the rate of sternal wound complications between the groups. Sternal wound complications occurred in two patients (2.1%) in the drained group, compared to nine patients (11.25%) in the non-drained group (p=0.01).

Conclusion: Our study results show that Jackson-Pratt drain insertion after median sternotomy in patients with a Body Mass Index of ≥30 kg/m² undergoing open cardiac surgery is a simple and reliable method to reduce the risk of postoperative sternal wound complications, compared to the conventional closure technique.

Keywords : Jackson-Pratt drain; median sternotomy; sternal wound complications.