Delayed midsternal wound reconstruction for infants without secondary sternal closure

: Three infants, aged 11 days, 19 days and 48 days, underwent two Jatene operations and one modified Norwood operation. The sternum was left open and the skin defect was covered with a silicon sheet in all three patients. Delayed sternal closure was impossible because of hemodynamic deterioration in all three patients. Consequently delayed midsternal wound reconstruction was applied. One rectus abdominis muscle flap was turned up and the defect between the split sternum was filled with this muscle flap. Bilateral axillary incision was made to decrease the skin tension and the midsternal wound was closed with cutaneous advancement flaps. Bilateral axillary defects were covered with mesh skin implantation. All three patients recovered after this procedure. We propose this technique for the cases in which the delayed sternal closure is impossible.