Traditionally, surgical debridement with immediate closure with our without irrigation or plastic reconstructive surgery was the therapy of choice in sternal wound infections There has been a notable change in the treatment of sternal wound infection during the last years since the introduction of NPWT..

As we have gained extensive experience in using NPWT in cardiac surgery patients over the last 9 years, we want to present our current treatment plan for patients with deep sternal wound infections with the goal to preserve the sternal bone and to enable a secondary sternal closure.