Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) is one of very few hospitals performing advanced procedures to reduce pain, recovery time and the risk of infection for patients suffering from broken ribs.
PMC’s Trauma Surgeons are performing rib plating for severely broken ribs, a procedure typically performed on the most common traumatic injuries.
Severe rib fractures are typically caused by car or motorcycle crashes, falls, assaults or other blunt-force injuries. If left untreated, short-term consequences of rib fractures include severe pain when breathing, pneumonia and, could even result in death. Long-term consequences may include chronic pain, chest deformity and decreased lung function.
Until now, the most common treatment for broken ribs was to leave them to heal on their own, which can be a long and painful recovery for most. Rib plating involves realigning of the ribs and bridging the break with ‘plates’.
Rib plating is used just as plates and screws are used to fix breaks in arms and legs.
Rib plating often results in significantly improved patient outcomes including decreased:
- length of hospital stay
- need for intensive care
- need for artificial ventilation/life
support
- risk of death
For more information, please call 606-218-6334.
