Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Oct 2006
Case ReportsMultinodular goiter compressing the trachea following open heart surgery.
Acute hemorrhage into an adenomatous goiter following cardiac surgery is a rare cause of acute upper airway obstruction. We report an unusual presentation of respiratory distress in a patient with goiter recovering from open heart surgery, which was successfully treated by left hemithyroidectomy. A mandatory evaluation of the upper trachea in patients with long-standing benign goiter is recommended prior to cardiac surgery.
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Four patients with displaced sternal fractures complained of intractable pain following road traffic accidents. They all had bone deformities, but only one had associated traumatic injuries. All patients underwent operative reduction and fixation of the fractured sternum using a T-shaped compression-tension stainless steel plate and screws. ⋯ Two plates have subsequently been removed. On follow-up, all patients had excellent results. Sternal plating, which is based on the tension-band principle, is an effective treatment for displaced sternal fractures.