# Migration of disrupted sternal wire to the pulmonary artery

## TL;DR

A man had a sternal wire from a previous surgery migrate into his pulmonary artery and required surgical removal.

## Contribution

This case highlights the rare complication of sternal wire migration and its successful removal under cardiopulmonary bypass.

## Key findings

- A fractured sternal wire was found in the right pulmonary artery during postoperative follow-up.
- The wire was successfully removed under cardiopulmonary bypass with an uneventful recovery.
- Migrated sternal wires are rare but require careful monitoring after sternotomy.

## 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.