Median sternotomy is a type of
surgical procedure in which a vertical inline
incision
Incision may refer to:
* Cutting, the separation of an object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force
* A type of open wound caused by a clean, sharp-edged object such as a knife, razor, or glass splinter
...
is made along the
sternum, after which the sternum itself is divided using a
sternal saw
A sternal saw is a bone cutter used to perform median sternotomy, opening the patient's chest by splitting the breastbone, or sternum. It is a reciprocating blade saw that resembles a jigsaw in appearance. It was invented and introduced by Dr. Edw ...
.
This procedure provides access to the heart and lungs for surgical procedures such as
heart transplant
A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed. , the most common proce ...
,
lung transplant, corrective surgery for
congenital heart defects, or
coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced "cabbage") is a surgical procedure to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaques in the arteries of the heart. It can relieve chest pai ...
.
References
{{Cardiac surgery
Thoracic surgical procedures
Surgical incisions