[HSF] Sterna-Band chest closure

[Tea Acuff]

I used these a couple of times a decade ago. I thought that they were somewhat cumbersome to place and secure. I have used the Pioneer system (cables and a tension clamp) which is pretty easy and seems to have greatly simplified closure of big and stiff chests. I use it routinely now. They are easier to remove than regular wires, (but impossible to twist off in an emergency without wire cutters.) Noninfectious dehisence seems less. They are a little bulky because of the fixation clip (ring) in very skinny patients with no subQ.

tea


----- Original Message ----
From: "jbflegejr at aol.com" <jbflegejr at aol.com>
To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2007 7:29:53 PM
Subject: Re: [HSF] Sterna-Band chest closure


For many years I used Parham bands, now Sternabands from Ethicon, in 
large patients with severe COPD. The Parham bands were made for spiral 
fractures of the tibia and were superceded by intramedullary fixation 
and the market for them dried up about 40 years ago. There were some 
left in our operating rooms and we finally used them all. I saw them 
displayed as Sternabands at the Ethicon booth at the EACTS meeting in 
Vienna about three years ago and an Ethicon rep in Germany sent me 
some. No one at Ethicon USA has ever heard of them. I still have a few 
that came from Germany and have not tried to get anymore. They provide 
for a very secure sternal closure. There is a special instrument for 
tightening them. They present no particular problem for removal at 
reoperation. If you find a way to get them, please let me know. John 
Flege

-----Original Message-----
From: drdharris at yahoo.co.uk
To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com
Sent: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:31:06 +0100 (BST)
Subject: [HSF] Sterna-Band chest closure

   Are any members using above  for augmenting chest
closure.

I am keen to use it in obese patients.

Does anyone have contact details of distributors? I
cannot track them down, even on the internet

Dr. David G. Harris, FCS, MMED,
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Suite 207
Kuils River Private Hospital,
PO Box 1200, Kuils River, 7579, Cape Town, South Africa.
Tel +27-21-9006411
Fax +27-21-9006412      Mobile +27-83-3309587
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