Patients with deep sternal wound infection following sternotomy benefit from one-step radical sternal débridement and muscle flap(s) reconstruction, as it results in a significant decrease in morbidity, mortality, and length of stay.

All patients experienced improvement of their preoperative symptoms, particularly pain, popping, and grinding. Average pain severity dropped from 7.7 preoperatively to 2.2, with a maximum of 4. Two patients developed seroma and required operative drainage. Both went on to complete healing. The mortality rate was 0 percent.