Question
Hi, I went to see a doctor yesterday about pain on my right side. I've had this pain off and on for over two years now. I had a very bad cough in early 2006 and from what I understand all the coughing has broken my rib and it's never healed. Now my doctor told me it would require surgery and that he recommends to take a piece out of my rib to repair the damage. It confuses me because I always thought Rib fractures heal on their own with pain medication and rest. Why hasn't it healed on it's own? That's the part that confuses me the most, it's been over two years now. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer
Dear Manuela,

You are basically correct that broken ribs mostly heal on their own without medical or surgical intervention.  However, if the break was severe or had fragments, the movement of the chest with normal breathing can be enough to retard healing and allow for a nonunion of the rib ends.  Non-union after rib fractures is rare and not well reported in the clinical literature...only a handful cases are described. The recommended treatment in most of these cases was resection of the distal part of the rib or restriction of activity, however, there are plates and screws that can be utilized to correct for the unstable rib fragments.

Although I have basic knowledge on fractures, healing rates, as well as common surgical procedures for the stabilization of fractured bones, I am not an orthopedic surgeon, and I would recommend that you additionally pose this question to an orthopedist on the all experts website for more detailed information.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net