A newly designed thorax support vest prevents sternum instability after median sternotomy☆

Abstract

The use of the Posthorax sternum vest shows a favourable outcome to prevent sternum instability after cardiac surgery. There was one reoperation in patients treated with this sternum vest compared to 16 in the control groups.

A Randomized Trial to Assess the Contribution of a Novel Thorax Support Vest (Corset) in Preventing Mechanical Complications of Median Sternotomy

“…These clinical improvements may be attributed to the improved sternum stability in group A that is provided by the Posthorax support vest without limitation on breathing and this can be translated in better patient comfort and mobility and lower incidence of mechanically induced sternum complications, but quite importantly in our “economic conscious” age can mean lower associated healthcare costs. Our findings are supported by other randomized studies from the literature [9, 18, 19]. However, these studies are multicentric and included infective and non-infective sternal complications and furthermore they did not do an extensive subgroup analysis on patients with a high risk for sternal complications.…”

“…The Posthorax vest is the latest technological generation of sternum support corsets [18]. It has been designed to stabilize the sternum following sternotomy so as to avoid excessive stress on the sternum wires during bone healing [17].…”

“…It has been designed to stabilize the sternum following sternotomy so as to avoid excessive stress on the sternum wires during bone healing [17]. It differs from other previous vest designs because its structure is open in the front and is not based on a circumferential elastic band design making it less restrictive [18]. This open structure is also more hygienic, as it avoids compression and contamination of the skin wound.…”

“…This open structure is also more hygienic, as it avoids compression and contamination of the skin wound. The non-elastic band structure avoids harmful continuous compression on the thorax and interference with respiratory effort and only provides support during excessive chest stress such as when coughing, mobilizing, or performing rehabilitation exercises [18]. In other words, the patient’s chest is free to move during breathing and is only supported during excessive or non-physiological movement, thus reducing the potential risk of respiratory complications.…”

Supportive treatment using a compression garment vest of painful sternal instability following deep surgical wound infection: a case report

“…Devices for external compression of the thorax to prevent or treat sternal instabilities have been systematically investigated in only a few studies, but have shown promising results [4]. Relatively rigid 'corset-like' constructions can, as we have occasionally observed, easily slip out of place, particularly on patients who are obese, and cause skin irritations at the edges of the material due to bulging skin.…”