Chennai, July 29: SRM Global Hospital performed a rare, life-saving chest wall reconstruction on a 42-year-old man who sustained multiple rib fractures, a fractured sternum and a lung injury in a road traffic accident. The severe chest trauma also resulted in a flail chest, a life-threatening condition in which a segment of the rib cage moves paradoxically, collapsing inward during inhalation instead of expanding normally, causing acute respiratory distress.
To treat the life-threatening injuries, the multidisciplinary team performed emergency Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery-assisted Surgical Stabilisation of Rib Fractures along with chest wall reconstruction. The procedures successfully restored the stability of the chest wall, allowing the patient to breathe normally again. He made a remarkable recovery and was discharged in a stable condition.
The Trauma & Acute Care Surgery team, led by Dr. Vijayan, comprising Dr. Abdul Hakeem and Dr. Vishnu, performed surgical stabilisation of the fractured sternum and ribs using titanium locking plates and screws. The procedure successfully restored the structural integrity and stability of the chest wall.
In his comments, Dr. Vijayan said,
“This was a classic case of flail chest resulting from a high-velocity road traffic accident, where multiple rib and sternal fractures caused the chest wall to lose its stability. Such injuries can severely compromise breathing and are potentially life-threatening. The surgery was particularly challenging because the fractured ribs and sternum were in close proximity to the heart and major blood vessels, leaving very little margin for error. Using a VATS-assisted approach, we were able to precisely stabilise the fractured ribs and sternum with titanium locking plates and screws, restoring the structural integrity of the chest wall. This enabled the patient to breathe normally again, significantly reduced his pain, and accelerated his recovery.”
Dr. V. P. Chandrasekaran, Chief Operating Officer, SRM Global Hospitals, said,
“Chest wall reconstruction and VATS-assisted SSRF are rarely done in the state. This successful outcome reflects the strength of our integrated trauma care programme, where specialists from multiple disciplines work together to deliver timely, evidence-based care for critically injured patients. From emergency stabilisation and advanced imaging to complex surgery, intensive care and rehabilitation, every stage of treatment demands close coordination and clinical excellence. We commend our teams from Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Physiotherapy, whose collective expertise made this life-saving intervention possible. Such cases reaffirm SRM Global Hospital’s commitment to providing world-class trauma care and advanced surgical solutions for patients with complex, life-threatening injuries.”