• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.25 no.12
• /
• pp.1523-1529
• /
• 1992

This report decribes our experience with operative stabilization of flail chest with the use of Judet`s struts. In a series of 56 patients with flail chest, the method allowed shorter duration of artificial ventilation and decreased functional sequale. We find this technique to be better than previously published methods, since it provides better stabilization and immobilazation of the ribs and thus obviates the need for artificial ventilation and prevents post-traumatic chest deformity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.366-370
• /
• 1991

This report describes our experience with the operative stabilization of flail chest with the use of Judet`s struts. In a series of 14 patients with flail chest, the method allowed shorter duration of artificial ventilation and decreased functional sequale. We find this technique to be better than previously published methods, since it provides better stabilization and immobilization of the ribs and thus obviates the need for artificial ventilation and prevents post-traumatic chest deformity.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.170-174
• /
• 2013

Purpose: A flail chest is one of most challenging problems for trauma surgeons. It is usually accompanied by significant underlying pulmonary parenchymal injuries and mayled to a life-threatening thoracic injury. In this study, we evaluated the treatment result for a flail chest to determine the effect of trauma localization on morbidity and mortality. Methods: Between 2004 and 2011, 46 patients(29 males/17 females) were treated for a flail chest. The patients were divided into two group based on the location of the trauma in the chest wall; Group I contained patients with an anterior flail chest due to a bilateral costochondral separation (n=27) and Group II contained patients with a single-side posterolateral flail chest due to a segmental rib fracture (n=19). The location of the trauma in the chest wall, other injuries, mechanical ventilation support, prognosis and ISS (injury severity score) were retrospectively examined in the two groups. Results: Mechanical ventilation support was given in 38 patients(82.6%), and 7 of these 38 patients required a subsequent tracheostomy. The mean ISS for all 46 patients was $19.08{\pm}10.57$. Between the two groups, there was a significant difference in mean ventilator time (p<0.048), but no significant difference in either trauma-related morbidity (p=0.369) or mortality (p=0.189). Conclusion: An anterior flail chest frequently affects the two underlying lung parenchyma and can cause a bilateral lung contusion, a hemopneumothorax and lung hemorrhage. Thus, it needs longer ventilator care than a lateral flail chest does and is more frequently associated with pulmonary complications with poor outcome than a lateral flail chest is. In a severe trauma patient with a flail chest, especially an anterior flail chest, we must pay more attention to the pulmonary care strategy and the bronchial toilet.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.64-66
• /
• 1993

We experienced 2 cases of surgical immobilization with Judet`s strut for flail chest with multiple rib fractures. The patients were undertaken explorative thoracotomy for unevacuated hematoma and chest wall fixation for paradoxically moving segments of ribs after initial trials of internal fixation, i.e. mechanical ventilation with endotracheal intubation. Immediately after operation, the patient`s general condition and respiratory status were improved remarkably. Mechanical ventilation and endotracheal intubtion were removed on postoperative second day without any events.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.26 no.10
• /
• pp.812-814
• /
• 1993

Six patients with flail chest were performed operative stabilization with Judet`s Struts.The indications of opertive stabilization were exploratory thoracotomy or laparotomy in 4 patients, and severe chest pain due to displaced ribs which deteriorated respiratory pattern and gas exchange in 2 patients. After operation, all patients became comfortable and complained less pain.Two patients restored spontaneous breathing without ventilator therapy and 2 patients were ventilated during 4 days and 5 days, respectively.There were no morbidity and mortality related to operative stabilization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.816-819
• /
• 1990

This reports describes our experience with the operative stabilization of flail chest with the use of Judet’s struts. Two patients with flail chest, the method allowed shorter duration of artificial ventilation and decreased functional sequelae. We find this technique to be better than previously published method, since it provides better stabilization and immobilization of the ribs and thus obviates the need for artificial ventilation and prevents post-traumatic chest deformity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 2022

Flail chest is a critical medical condition in which multiple segmentally fractured adjacent ribs cause paradoxical movement of the thoracic cage in patients with severe blunt trauma injury. Surgical stabilization is considered essential in patients who require mechanical ventilation. However, there is no consensus on which surgical procedure to choose among the various available techniques or when to perform surgery. We report the case of a patient with traumatic anterior flail chest due to bilateral multiple fractures of the ribs requiring surgical stabilization in whom weaning from mechanical ventilation had failed. The Nuss procedure using double bars with the bridge technique was performed for chest wall stabilization. The patient was weaned from mechanical ventilation on postoperative day 44 and she underwent bar removal on postoperative day 71. After extensive rehabilitation for multiple trauma, she was discharged successfully. The patient currently shows no recurrence of chest wall depression in outpatient follow-up.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.37-44
• /
• 1975

Authors have reviewed the records of seven patients of multiple rib fractures with severe flail chest who were admitted to Hanyang University Hospital during the 3 years period from 1972 through 1975. Of the seven patients studied, automobile accidents led to the injuries in 4 cases, two patients were injured in fall from a tree and on the ox-heading. All who had a blunt trauma without any open wound on the chest. The numbers of the fractured ribs accounted for 6 to 9 of the ribs including double fractures from 3 to 5 ribs. The left side fractures occurred in the 6 patients and in the right only one patient. Thus the flail segment was more often located in the left antero-lateral position than in the right lateral position [the ratio was 6:1].. All cases had associated injuries. The injuries and multiple fractures were the most common associated injuries occurring in four and five of the patients respectively. The patients were classified as having associated head injuries when they were admitted in comatose or semicomatose state. When a major degree of instability of the thoracic cage exists, adequate respiratory change is not possible. For this reason the tracheostomy was performed in five patients in an acutely injured patient with flail chest only after an endotracheal tube has been inserted or after an endotracheal suction. All patients had secondary complications in the pleural cavity, such as hemothorax or hemopneumothorax with or without intrapulmonary hemorrhage and subcutaneous emphysema. Therefore, closed thoracostomy was performed in five patients in the emergency room. The thoracotomy was required in four patients: immediate operation without closed thoracostomy was performed in two patients and the thoracotomy was indicated in two patients after closed thoracostomy, because of increasing intrathoracic hemorrhage. As to the fixation of the flail segments, authors employed two techniques; one was towel clip traction of the flail segments and the other was intramedullary insertion of Kirschner`s wire in to the double fractured rib fragments for the fixation of the flail segments [Kirschner`s wire fixation]. Because` of an different results in the course of treatment between two techniques, data from patients with towel clip traction was compared with those from patients with thoracotomy and Kirschner`s wire fixation of the flail segments. Of the three patients with towel clip traction, two patients required bronchoscopic toilet due to lung atelectasis which developed because of inadequate motion of thoracic cage and poor expectoration. This was in contrast to the four patients with thoracotomy and Kirschner`s wire fixation, who didn`t these complication because of adequate motion of the thoracic cage and subsequent good expectoration.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.12
• /
• pp.1160-1166
• /
• 1995

From 1980 through 1993, sixty one patients having traumatic flail chest were analysised retrospectively at the Department of Thoracic and Cardivascular Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital. There were 47 men and 14 women, mean age, 49.3 years, age range 4 to 82 years. The most common mode of trauma was automobile accident, common combined other organ injuries were skeletal injury [ 36 patients and neurologic injury [ 20 patients . In the mode of treatment, ventilator therapy was done in 34 cases and operative stabilization was done in 18 cases [ Kirschner or steel wire: 9 cases, Judet`s strut: 9 cases . Sixteen patients died [26 % . The main factors associated with fatal outcome were shock [ p < 0.002 , head injury [ p < 0.005 , and more than 50 years of age [ p < 0.05 . In fatal cases, 14 patients died during in ventilator therapy [ 14/34, 41 % and 2 patients died following operative stabilization of chest wall [ 2/18, 11 % .The overall cause of death was septicemia, ARDS, ARF, hypovolemic shock and hypoxic brain damage.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.449-451
• /
• 2023

We report a case of chest wall resection for painful chest wall nonunion, 5 years after traumatic flail chest and a first attempt at surgical treatment. The decision was made to perform surgery again after 2 years of unsuccessful well-conducted analgesic treatment. During surgery, we found the same sites of pseudarthrosis and decided to perform parietectomy of the fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs. A Gore-Tex patch was used to bridge the gap created by the resection. In immediate postoperative care, the patient's pain was quickly and sufficiently eased by stage 1 and 2 pain killers. The results of bone samples taken from the pseudarthrosis sites all found Propionibacterium acnes. Five months after surgery, the patient had considerable improvement in pain sensations. Computed tomography showed healing of ribs, the plate in place, and no sign of complications.