Usefulness of biodegradable absorbable rib connecting pins in thoracoabdominal hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Some patients who undergo thoracoabdominal hepatectomy suffer from pain and discomfort after because rib and/or costal cartilage was cut during the operation. The usefulness of absorbable rib connecting pins in thoracoabdominal hepatectomy was evaluated.

METHODOLOGY: Of 18 patients who underwent thoracoabdominal hepatectomy, the stumps of ribs were not fixed in 9 patients (group 1) and the stumps of ribs were fixed with the rib connecting pins in 9 other patients (group 2). We evaluated the usefulness of these pins in thoracoabdominal hepatectomy.

RESULTS

In 8 patients in group 1 and 2 patients in group 2, pain continued for 1 month after the operation (p = 0.015). At 2 months after the operation, pain continued in 6 patients in group 1 and no patients in group 2 (p = 0.009). At 6 months after the operation, 2 patients in group 1 still had pain. Rib instability continued in 8 patients in group 1 at 6 months after the operation, although rib instability disappeared by 2 months after the operation in all group 2 patients (p = 0.0004).

CONCLUSIONS

Biodegradable absorbable pins for rib fixation are useful for preventing pain and discomfort around the cut stumps of ribs in thoracoabdominal hepatectomy.