Evaluation of Primary Plating in Sternotomy Patients for Osteosynthesis and Pain

Exclusion Criteria

• •Patients with a non-standard sternotomy;
• •Patients with an off-midline sternotomy that reduced the bony margin to \<2mm
• •Patients under eighteen (18) years of age;
• •Patients that are pregnant or currently lactating;
• •Patients presenting intra-operative conditions that would require the use of rigid fixation and/or additional post-sternotomy mechanical support beyond wire cerclage due to surgical evaluation,
• •Patients defined within the New York Heart Association (NYHA) or Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) functional Class IV for congestive heart failure,
• •Patients presenting emergent/salvage cardiac acuity as defined per the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) guidelines: i.e., patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation en route to the operating room or prior to induction of anesthesia;
• •Patients undergoing post-operative revision procedures that treat the original sternotomy in such a way as to affect outcome (antibiotic irrigation, debridement or other treatment to the osteotomy);
• •Patients unwilling or unable to return for follow-up;
• •Lacking the ability to follow instructions;
• •Intraoperative death.