The new procedure employs a thoracoscope, which gives surgeons a high-definition view of the inner surface of the ribcage; and a titanium plate attached to the broken rib by post-and-sleeve bolts. The hardware is positioned and secured through a system of fine cables. The entire operation requires just a few short incisions.
The surgeons' view, via a fiber-optic camera and a thoracoscope inserted low in the chest, shows the curved ribs, the reddish intercostal muscles between them, and a fixation plate in the process of being attached to a rib to fix, or stabilize, it. After the bolts are secured, the thin cables they were suspended on are withdrawn through a small incision.
The fixation plate is attached to the inner surface of the rib using fiber optics, very small incisions, and a procedure Dr. Randy Haluck compares to building a ship in a bottle.
On the exterior surface of fixed ribs, the low-profile bolts cause a minimum of irritation to the overlying muscle tissue.