Objective:

To establish the morbidity and mortality of patients with univentricular hearts who underwent a repeat median sternotomy at the Instituto Nacional de Pediatría.

Method:

A retrospective review was performed on the clinical charts of all patients who under-went a repeat median sternotomy from 2001 to 2016.

Results:

Sixty-five patients underwent 76 surgeries by repeat median sternotomy. Fifty-nine patients had a first repeat median sternotomy, with a mean age of 36 months (range: 4–176 months) and a mean weight of 12.2 kg (range: 3.2–21.5 kg). Forty patients had a Glenn procedure, and 19 patients had a Fontan procedure. There were 17 patients with a second repeat median sternotomy, with a mean age of 89 months (range 48–156 months), and a mean weight of 22.7 kg (14.4–41 kg). A Fontan procedure was performed on all these 17 patients. A section of the right coronary artery with electrocardiographic changes and a right atrium tear that caused hypotension occurred during first repeat sternotomy. An aortic tear occurred during a second repeat sternotomy with massive bleeding and subsequent death. This represents 3.9% of re-entry injuries.

Conclusion:

It is concluded that repeat median sternotomy is a safe procedure.

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