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URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19980.htm
Infant open heart surgery
Overview
During open-heart surgery an incision is made through the breastbone (sternum) while the child is under general anesthesia.
Review Date 6/1/2026
Updated by: Thomas S. Metkus, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.