Aim of the study. To evaluate the results of treatment of sterno- mediastinitis using vacuum therapy in patients of the first year of life. Material and methods. The study included 25 children under the age of 1 year who had undergone cardiac surgery from median sternotomy in the period from August 2013 to August 2016 on the basis of the E.N. Meshalkin National Medical Research Center, , complicated by infection of the wound. Results. Vacuum therapy in the treatment of sterno-mediastinitis was used in 25 infants, aged 103 (average) (9 ÷ 167) days. Superficial infection developed in 10 (40%) patients, deep infection - in 15 (60%) children. The average duration of vacuum therapy was 6.9 (3 ÷ 8) days. The average time of artificial lung ventilation was 147 (12 ÷ 176) hours, the duration of treatment in the intensive care unit was 7.6 (3.2 ÷ 8.6) days. Complications were present in 7 (28%) patients and included multiple organ failure (8%), isolated renal dysfunction (12%), bleeding (4%), relapse of infection (4%). 2 (8%) patients died due to symptoms of severe multiorgan failure. The average length of the hospital stay was of 30 (23 ÷ 38) days. Conclusions. Vacuum therapy can be successfully used for the treatment of sterno-mediastinitis in children of the first year of life as also an excellent alternative to the traditional treatment method.