Sternal wound complications may result from median sternotomy procedures following cardiothoracic surgery and can represent a significant management problem in open cardiac surgery leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Morbidity from sternal wound dehiscence was close to 50% until recently, but with new advances, including sternal fixation techniques and various reconstructive surgical options, and up-to-date protocols for surgical site infections (PHE, 2019), this has improved significantly. This article outlines the problems of wound dehiscence and delayed healing following median sternotomy and provides an overview of the pertinent management options.