Migration of disrupted sternal wire to the pulmonary artery.

Abstract

We report a case of sternal wire migration into the pulmonary artery. A 66-year-old man who had undergone thymectomy through median sternotomy 3 years ago was admitted because of a fractured sternal wire in the right pulmonary artery on computed tomography during the postoperative follow-up. It was removed directly from the pulmonary artery under cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful. Although migrated sternal wire into the heart or vascular tissue is very rare, care is necessary for its disruption and displacement after sternotomy.