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Michelle Copeland, DMD, MD; Christopher Senkowski, MD; Marianne Ulcickas, MPH; Meryl Mendelson, MD; Randall B. Griepp, MD

Arch Surg. 1994;129(7):757-759.

Abstract
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 cup sizes are associated with an increased risk for deep sternal wound infection after undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy incision.

(Arch Surg. 1994;129:757-759)

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of Surgery (Drs Copeland and Senkowski), Medicine (Dr Mendelson), and Cardiothoracic Surgery (Dr Griepp), The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, and the Division of Biostatistics and Research and Epidemiology, Henry Ford Health Sciences Center, Detroit, Mich (Ms Ulcickas).

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