Comparison of the Effectiveness of Surgical Versus Nonsurgical Treatment for Multiple Rib Fractures Accompanied with Pulmonary Contusion

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment for multiple rib fractures accompanied with pulmonary contusion. Methods: The clinical records of consecutive 167 patients with multiple rib fractures accompanied with pulmonary contusion, who were treated from June 2014 to June 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. Of them, 75 and 92 underwent surgery (surgery group) and non-surgical treatment (non-surgery group), respectively. Patient pain score, complications, length of hospital stay, cost of hospitalization, and post-treatment 3-month follow-up results were compared. Results: The mean number of days and moderate pain in the surgery group was significantly lower than that of the non-surgery group (p <0.01). The incidence of posttreatment complications was significantly lower in the surgery group than in the non-surgery group. The length of hospital stay of the surgery group was also significantly shorter than that of the non-surgery group (p <0.01). The cost of hospitalization was significantly higher in the surgery group than in the non-surgery group (p <0.01). The chest computed tomography (CT) scan which was performed 3 months after the treatment revealed that the surgery group had a better recovery than the non-surgery group. Physical recovery of the surgery group was also significantly better than that of the non-surgery group. Conclusion: Surgery to treat multiple rib fractures (>= 4 fractures) accompanied with pulmonary contusion is safe and effective.