Cardiac & thoracic services
Fitted on the ward, not ordered from home.
The devices do the most when they go on inside the first 72 hours. Units that stock Posthorax fit the vest before the first mobilisation, and the patient goes home already wearing it. We supply cardiac theatres, ICUs, wards and rehabilitation services across Australia and New Zealand.
12
Clinical studies, none industry-funded, 2010–2018
12,512
Patients studied across the programme
7
Countries of documented clinical use
4×
Counter-pressure of an elastic bandage in pressure-sensor testing
Post-operative reality
The operation is complete. Healing has only just begun.
A median sternotomy leaves a transverse fracture held by wire. Every cough, movement and breath places mechanical stress across that line for the six to eight weeks it takes to knit.
- Coughing
- Sudden pressure on the fracture line
- Movement
- Torsion and lateral strain through the shoulders
- Deep breathing
- Cyclical loading, day and night
Mechanical, not only biological
Sternal instability is regarded as the single most important factor in deep sternal wound healing complications. Movement at the fracture line during coughing damages tissue and opens a path to the retrosternal space.
Measured support
Pressure-sensor testing on a thorax model and 27 volunteers found up to four times the counter-pressure of a common flexible bandage — 8 Nm against 2 Nm — in the front-to-back axis. Dressings manage the skin; they do not splint the bone.
Ask yourself
Would you leave a fractured wrist unsupported? No.
Would you leave a fractured tibia unsupported? No.
So why should a fractured sternum be any different?
POSTHORAX provides the external mechanical support through that period — in effect a cast for the sternum, worn over the dressing and taken home.
Supply and packaging
| Product | Indication | Packaging | Lead time | Unit price (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO Support Vest | Median sternotomy | 5 pieces per size, per package | 1–3 weeks | $305–$355 |
| ThoraxBelt | Thoracotomy, rib injury | Single units, sizes XS–XXL | 5–7 working days | $53–$74 |
| Chestfix | Thoracic surgery, TAVI | 1 piece per unit, universal fit | 5–7 business days | $55 |
Prices in AUD ex GST, per unit, before any negotiated volume terms. All devices are single-patient products under EU Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745 and are not suitable for hospital laundry or reprocessing between patients.
How units use it
Sized pre-operatively
Chest circumference is taken at the pre-admission clinic, so the right size is on the trolley when the patient comes out of theatre.
Fitted within 72 hours
In the published trials, patients who did not receive the device within 72 hours were counted as dropouts. Early fitting is the protocol that was tested.
Cushions parallel to the sternum
Nursing staff check alignment and buckle tension at each shift. Correct alignment is what delivers anterior–posterior support.
Discharged wearing it
The device goes home with the patient for the full six to eight weeks, with washing instructions and a rehabilitation brief.
Why units choose it, role by role
The operation lasts hours; recovery lasts weeks. The device has to earn its place with four different sets of hands.
Surgeons
Supports and protects the surgical repair through the critical healing period, so the closure is not tested by every cough.
Nurses
Straightforward to fit and comfortable to wear, which is what makes confident early mobilisation possible on the ward.
Physiotherapists
Rehabilitation can be worked properly — movement, coughing and deep breathing supported rather than avoided.
Patients
Comfort and confidence: something holding the chest together when they stand, cough or sleep, at home as well as on the ward.
Clinical evidence that matters
Published clinical outcome
1.04%
With Posthorax
vs
2.27%
Without
Deep sternal wound infection and mediastinitis, prospective randomised multicentre trial, n = 2,600 patients.
In documented clinical use in seven countries — among them Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States.
Published studies have also shown
- Deep sternal wound infections reduced by up to 63%
- Total wound-healing complications reduced by 23%
- Earlier patient mobilisation
- Reduced length of stay and complication costs
Independent, non-industry-funded clinical trials, 2010–2021. Full references and papers available on request.
What individual centres have reported
| Centre | Cohort | Reported outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm | 978 patients | Mediastinitis reduced by 72%. |
| University Heart Center Hamburg, Germany | 2,200 patients, cohort study | Mediastinitis reduced by 63%. |
| University Heart Center Zurich, Switzerland | 1,689 patients | Deep sternal wound infection reduced by 52%. |
| University Hospital Southampton NHS, UK | 265 patients | Deep sternal wound infection reduced by 43%. |
| Heart Center Vienna, Austria | 1,560 patients, randomised multicentre | Reoperation rate 3.9% without the vest against 0.6% with it. |
| Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Italy | 1,009 patients | No severe complications — deep infection or dehiscence — among patients wearing the vest. |
| Spain — national consensus | SEICAV / SECTCV, 2021 | Level 2+ strong recommendation for postoperative sternal immobilisation in major cardiac surgery, citing a fall in complications from 3.87% to 0.61%. |
Figures as published in the manufacturer’s study register of twelve trials in 12,512 patients; papers for each are available on request. Apart from the Vienna trial, these are cohort studies, service evaluations and guideline recommendations rather than randomised trials. The four randomised controlled trials behind the device are set out with full citations on the clinical evidence page.
The procurement case
A deep sternal wound infection means readmission, debridement, prolonged antibiotics and sometimes revision surgery. The published trials measured exactly this — additional surgical procedures within 90 days were significantly reduced in the vest group.
The published European trials put the cost of a single deep sternal wound infection at €35,000–€55,000, and mortality for post-surgical mediastinitis at 1.6% to 3.2%. Fitting 500 sternotomy patients a year is on the order of $162,500 at unit price — so preventing three infections recoups the programme, and four leaves the unit ahead.
That is before the logistics. Centres running the protocol report an average length of stay 2.6 days shorter, which is roughly 1,300 bed-days across a 500-patient programme — capacity that goes back to the waiting list. We can provide the papers and pack pricing for your business case.
Evaluation
Evaluation units for a ward trial, with fitting guidance for nursing and physiotherapy staff.
Purchasing
Purchase orders and invoicing to hospital accounts payable; standing orders for regular volumes.
Documentation
Product specifications, regulatory documentation and the full trial papers on request.
Talk to us about your unit
Call 1300 707 222 during Queensland business hours, or send the details and we will come back with pricing and an evaluation plan.