Quantitative assessment of the posttreatment lung volume changes in patients with flail chest on computed chest tomography images

Complications encountered in the chronic phase flail chest patients are a decrease lung volume due to wall deformities and secondary restrictive respiratory function disorders. The aim of study was determine differences changes between who were treated non-surgically those with surgical stabilisation. conducted on twenty applied our clinic diagnosed chest. There ten group stabilisation group. Computed tomography (CT) images received before treatment third post-operative month. Total volumes estimated CT using planimetry method Cavalieri principle. relationship analysed. While total increased 12.9% post-operatively group, it 36.9% (p<0.05). In cases hemithorax affected by trauma, increase 41.6 (34.6%), but 7.7 (10%) contralateral hemithorax, observed 42.6 (39.2%) while non-surgical 19.6 (13.9%) (p>0.05). Our findings showed that surgically greater than conservative If there no preventive factors for approach, rib could be primary choice patients.