Complete vacuum-assisted sternal closure following neonatal cardiac surgery.

Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) has been used with success in the management of adults and children with sternal infections. However, this technique has not been applied previously to neonates requiring delayed sternal closure as the sole modality of therapy. In this article, we describe the management of two newborns with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in whom complete sternal wound healing was accomplished solely by using the VAC system. The implications of this new modality of treatment are discussed.