Sternotomy and intrathoracic omentum: two procedures, two innovators, and the river that runs through it - a brief history.

This is a small tribute to the monumental contributions of the early pioneers who introduced 2 invaluable thoracic procedures; an exposure through which the mediastinum and the heart could be safely approached, the median sternotomy, and an approach and method to revascularize an intrathoracic organ by transferring the omentum into the chest. The origin, rediscovery, and application of these procedures are strangely linked. With the renewed interest in variations of the median sternotomy and the effectiveness of using the intrathoracic omentum, the legacy of the original innovators lives on.