Surgical stabilization of rib fractures in patients with open flail chest results in improved clinical outcomes

Background: An open flail chest is a life-threatening injury prone to postoperative hardware infection due to open contaminated wounds. While there is considerable debate on performing surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) or not, few studies substantiate a decision. Methods: : The 3 patients with open flail chest treated with SSRF were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data were collected, including patient demographics, injury characteristics, surgical details, postoperative recovery, and follow-up. Results: : The described instances of three patients subjected to emergency SSRF following open chest injuries demonstrated positive postoperative recovery. There was no incidence of hardware infections or chest wall deformities detected at 15, 63, and 115 months postoperative follow-ups. Conclusion: SSRF may yield beneficial long-term results for patients experiencing open chest injuries. The potential risk of hardware infection should not automatically preclude the consideration of SSRF as a viable therapeutic option.