title: Usefulness of biodegradable absorbable rib connecting pins in thoracoabdominal hepatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. m7696493@msic.med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Taichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shuto
authors.forename: Shigekazu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uenishi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D001858:Bone Nails; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D012272:Ribs / Q000601:surgery*; D013537:Sutures; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology