Cardiac operations especially during the neonatal
period or in early infancy may result in severe
myocardial, mediastinal and pulmonary edema
[,<,]. The use of extracardiac conduits may cause
the intrathorauic structures, including the heart to be
compressed after closing sternum. For this reason,
this clinical stituation, resulting often in high
mortality, may cause limited diastolic filling, low
cardiac output, ventilatory problems during closing
sternum at the end of the operation or early
postoperative period [,,,].
In this paper, we present our experience with open
sternum during operation and delayed sternal
closure after pediatric öpen heart surgery in
intensive care unit or operation room since April,
1995.