Resumen

ELIZONDO ALMEIDA, Jorge; PUCCI CORONADO, Juan  y  SOTO- PACHECO, Longino. Cierre Asistido con Presión Negativa (VAC), en el tratamiento de esternotomía infectada: primer caso en Latinoamérica. Rev. costarric. cienc. méd [online]. 2001, vol.22, n.1-2, pp.59-64. ISSN 0253-2948.

A new technique using vacuum assisted closure (VAC) was succesfully applied to a 57 year old, male patient, with a dehisced infected sternotomy wound. After debridment and abscess drainage, a standard treatment with iodorform gauze strip was applied during 10 days, then it was substituted with by the application of negative pressure by controlled suction through a porous derssing, during 7 days. This novel technique, the first time applied in Latinamerica in this kind of lesion, has made possible to reduce healing time and hospital costs.

Palabras clave : Vacuum assisted closure; hospital costs.