Chest Wall Reconstruction
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 6, 2024.
AMBULATORY CARE:
What you need to know about chest wall reconstruction:
Chest wall reconstruction is surgery to repair the chest wall. The chest wall is made of bones, cartilage, and muscles. The chest wall protects your heart and lungs and helps you breathe. The chest wall may be damaged due to disease, trauma, or surgery.
How to prepare for chest wall reconstruction:
- Your surgeon will talk to you about how to prepare for surgery. Your surgeon may tell you not to eat or drink anything after midnight on the day of your surgery. Arrange to have someone drive you home after you are discharged.
- Tell your surgeon about all your current medicines. Your surgeon will tell you if you need to stop any medicine for surgery, and when to stop. Your surgeon will tell you which medicines to take or not take on the day of surgery.
- Tell your surgeon about any allergies you have, including to medicines or anesthesia. You may be given antibiotics to prevent an infection.
What will happen during chest wall reconstruction:
- You will be given general anesthesia to keep you asleep and free from pain during surgery. Your surgeon will make an incision near your chest. Your surgeon may insert a soft or hard prosthesis into your chest to create a new wall. The material used will depend on your condition.
- Your surgeon may use muscle from a different part of your body, such as your leg, to create the chest wall. A separate incision will be made. The muscle will be taken out of your body part and sewn into the new chest wall.
What to expect after chest wall reconstruction:
- A chest tube is placed during surgery to drain air and extra fluid from around your lungs. This allows your lungs and heart to work properly. The chest tube may be removed 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Your provider will monitor how much fluid collects and decide when to remove it.
- A Foley catheter is a tube put into your bladder to drain urine into a bag. Keep the bag below your waist. This will prevent urine from flowing back into your bladder and causing an infection or other problems. Also, keep the tube free of kinks so the urine will drain properly. Do not pull on the catheter. This can cause pain and bleeding, and may cause the catheter to come out.
- Extra oxygen may be needed if your blood oxygen level is lower than it should be. You may get oxygen through a mask placed over your nose and mouth or through small tubes placed in your nostrils.
- You may not be able to do your normal activities for a few months. Your chest will need time to heal. For 6 to 8 weeks after surgery, you will need to follow your healthcare provider's activity instructions.
Risks of chest wall reconstruction:
You may develop an infection at your surgery site. Your body may reject the prosthesis. You may need another surgery to take the prosthesis out. You may need more surgeries if the reconstruction does not work. You may develop pneumonia or respiratory failure. This can become life-threatening.
Call your local emergency number (911 in the US), or have someone call if:
- You have sudden trouble breathing.
- Your stitches or staples come apart.
Seek care immediately if:
- Your arm or leg feels warm, tender, and painful. It may look swollen and red.
- Blood soaks through your bandage.
- Your surgery area is red, swollen, or is draining pus.
- You cough up blood.
- You have a fever higher than 101°F (38.4°C).
Call your surgeon if:
- Your pain is not well controlled at home.
- You have questions or concerns about your condition or care.
Medicines:
You may need any of the following:
- Prescription pain medicine may be given. Ask your healthcare provider how to take this medicine safely. Some prescription pain medicines contain acetaminophen. Do not take other medicines that contain acetaminophen without talking to your healthcare provider. Too much acetaminophen may cause liver damage. Prescription pain medicine may cause constipation. Ask your healthcare provider how to prevent or treat constipation.
- NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen, help decrease swelling, pain, and fever. This medicine is available with or without a doctor's order. NSAIDs can cause stomach bleeding or kidney problems in certain people. If you take blood thinner medicine, always ask your healthcare provider if NSAIDs are safe for you. Always read the medicine label and follow directions.
- Take your medicine as directed. Contact your healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not helping or if you have side effects. Tell your provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when and why you take them. Bring the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency.
Care for the surgery area as directed:
Wear loose-fitting clothing over the area. Do not get the area wet until your healthcare provider says it is okay. When it is okay to bathe, do not scrub the area. Just let water run over it. Dry the area and put on new, clean bandages as directed. Change your bandages when they get wet or dirty. Do not put powders or lotions over the area. Check the area every day for signs of infection, such as swelling, redness, or pus.
Follow up with your surgeon as directed:
Write down your questions so you remember to ask them during your visits.
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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
Further information
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