Breast size as a risk factor for sternal wound complications following cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE: To determine if macromastia is associated with risk for deep sternal wound infection following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy incision.

DESIGN: Case-control study.

SETTING: Private urban teaching hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: Women who developed deep sternal wound infection after undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy incision and a random sample of women who did not develop infection following the same surgery.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios (ORs) were used to compare the development of deep sternal wound infection in women who wore large bra cups (size D or DD) with women who wore small bra cups (size A or B) and to compare women who wore medium bra cups (size C) with those who wore small bra cups.

RESULTS: For women who wore large bra cups, the OR for deep sternal wound infection was 38.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.6 to 265.8) compared with women who wore small bra cups. For women who wore medium bra cups, the OR for deep sternal wound infection was 12.3 (95% CI, 2.2 to 68.7). The multivariate adjusted ORs, controlling for body mass index, internal mammary artery grafting, diabetes, and age, were 42.1 (95% CI, 3.7 to 477.3) for women who wore large bra cups compared with women who wore small bra cups and 14.9 (95% CI, 1.7 to 129.7) for women who wore medium bra cups compared with women who wore small bra cups.

CONCLUSIONS: Large and medium bra cups sizes are associated with an increased risk for deep sternal wound infection after undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy incision.