CARDIAC DILATATION AFTER CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS - CERAMIC PLATE TECHNIQUE FOR STERNAL SPLINTING

Intraoperative sternal closure after cardiopulmonary bypass in patient s with cardiac dilatation and dysfunction may cause fatal deterioratio n of their hemodynamics. To avoid this complication, a ceramic plate m ade from methyl methacrylate was used for sternal splinting. This simp le splint can avoid chest wall compression to the overdilated heart, m aintaining stable hemodynamics after cardiopulmonary bypass without po stoperative respiratory complications or mediastinal infection.