SUCCESSFUL REPAIR OF COMPLETE STERNAL CLEFT ASSOCIATED WITH CONGENITAL HEART-DISEASE - REPORT OF ONE CASE

Total failure of sternal fusion without other developmental anomalies of the chest and abdominal wall is rare. We report on a 52-year-old ma n with a total cleft sternum associated exclusively with an ostium sec undum type atrial septal defect, a large cone-ventricular septal defec t and pulmonary stenosis, who underwent successful surgical repair of the congenital heart disease and of the sternal anomaly by direct appr oximation of the freshened sternal remnants to the midline without int erposition of tissue graft or inert prosthesis. This technique should be considered and attempted first as a better surgical option even in adult patients.