Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Apr 2007
Case ReportsBrachial plexus injury following median sternotomy.
Brachial plexus injury is a rare complication after median sternotomy. We investigated that injury to the brachial plexus was retrospectively assessed in the results of three patients who underwent median sternotomy for open heart surgery. ⋯ The most important measure is careful sternal retraction and use of the hands-up position for the low incidence and benign course of brachial plexus problems. Inappropriate sternal retraction during preparation of internal mammary artery should be avoided.