Surgical approaches to postoperative mediastinitis that imply wire removal achieve earlier infection recovery but leave the patient with sternal instability. In 10 patients after wound surgical debridement, my colleagues and I achieved sternal synthesis by using Achilles tendons retrieved from multiorgan donors and stored in glutaraldehyde. Three tendons were used in each patient; they were passed through the bone at the manubrium and parasternally at the midsternum and the lower sternum. Thirty-day computed tomographic scan results, infection recovery, and quality of life were satisfactory.
