Surgical Treatment of Traumatic Flail Chest - Twenty Years of Experience
, ABSTRACT Introduction: Traumatic flail chest is segment of the chest wall, which is caused by multiple fractures or by separation of bone structures (at least three sequential broken ribs or separated into two fracture lines). These injuries are mainly seen in polytrauma patients. Aim of the Study: Our aim is to show the therapeutic benefits of surgical treatment (operative stabilization) of the flail chest. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent surgery at the Clinic of Thoracic Surgery, University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, in the period from 01. 12. 1997 - 04. 06. 2016. Results: 50 patients with traumatic flail chest with average age of 47.42 years were surgically treated in the twenty-year period at the Clinic of Thoracic Surgery, University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka. The average length of a hospital stay was 15 days. Survival rate in the operated group was 91.43%. Conclusion: If conservative measures such as internal stabilization, the use of analgesics, antibiotics, oxygen therapy and airway toilet does not lead to stabilization of respiratory function, surgical chest wall stabilization is necessary.