Successful surgical repair of a sternum cleft using composite mesh: A case report and new technical note

Abstract

Sternal clefts are infrequent congenital malformations, particularly in their complete presentation. There are less than 100 descriptions of these defects published in the literature worldwide. We report a clinical case of lower sternal cleft associated with congenital laparoschisis in a 2-year-old boy. Surgery was performed because of recurrent pneumopathy and the risk of cardiorespiratory decompensation in the midterm. A semi-resorbable prosthesis was used for sternal closure. We have not observed any complications with this sternal closure system in our patient. This approach is easy, safe, effective and not harmful to a child's growth.

Wang procedure for secondary thoracic deformity after simultaneous operation of sternal cleft with congenital heart disease

“…This deformity often associated with congenital heart disease, once confirmed, surgery should be completed at the same time [ 4 ]. Cardiac surgery can be performed routinely through the median sternotomy, but there are two surgical methods for sternal cleft, namely, primary closure [ 1 , 2 ] and reconstruction [ 3 ].…”

“…Primary closure is relatively simple, whereas reconstruction requires the use of special materials, which include autologous and synthetic materials [ 3 ]. In this patient’s surgery, we used autologous ribs.…”