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Background:    Most patients who undergo cardiac surgery are burdened by much non-cardiac comorbidity. Median sternotomy continues to be the principal approach. The complications of sternal healing are infrequent. The aim of this study was to establish the stability and frequency of complications after the modified Mayo closure.
    Material/Methods:    The study included 85 patients, operated on in the Cardiosurgical Clinic of the Medical University in Lodz, divided into 2 groups, in which 2 independent techniques of closure were applied – classical and Mayo during the time period 2008–2010. Risk factors of impaired sternal union were analyzed. The risk score of wound infection was evaluated.
    Results:    Patient mean age was 58.98 (26–77) in the M group and 60.4 (28–79) in the K group. Thirty-six percent of patients from the K group had BMI>25 kg/m2 and 18% had BMI >30 kg/m2; whereas in the M group these figures were 25% and 20%, respectively, of patients. The mean risk score of the wound infection in patients from the M group was 9.25, while in the K group it was 6.29.The mean time of observation was 46 days.
    Conclusions:    Despite the higher risk score in the M group, the effect of sternum closure was beneficial and can be an alternative method to the classic closure.

Keywords: steel sutures, sternal healing complications, Mayo technique