Combined repair of upper sternal cleft and transposition of the great arteries in a newborn.

We report the case of a newborn with the unusual association of an upper sternal defect and transposition of the great arteries. Surgical correction of the cardiac disease consisted of the arterial switch procedure. The already less compliant bony thorax of the infant made direct approximation of the upper sternal defect only possible with adjuvant bilateral chondrotomy. Sternal cleft repair is advised during the very first weeks of life.