What Are The Treatments For Slipping Rib Syndrome?
Conservative treatments, such as rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and physical therapy, have provided relief for many patients; but surgical resection of the affected rib cartilages is the only treatment to provide definitive long-term pain relief and return to full activity.
Surgical treatment involves resection or removal of the affected rib cartilages and decompression of the intercostal nerves. Connecticut plastic surgeon Dr. Liu has a decade of experience operating on the chest and in the chest. He is an expert in rib resection. Dr. Liu performs rib resection through an incision directly over the affected ribs. He may also combine the rib resection with an abdominoplasty approach, which offers full surgical access to the rib cage margin and can treat multiple sites of slipping ribs through one incision, which is concealed below the waistline. Dr. Liu also has fellowship training in peripheral nerve surgery, enabling him to expertly identify and decompress the intercostal nerves.
Rib resection in Palo Alto may be performed as an outpatient (same-day) surgery or with an overnight hospital admission. For the best healing, patients should refrain from heavy lifting and other strenuous physical activity for 4 weeks after surgery. Many patients report that the pain from slipping rib syndrome resolves almost immediately after surgery, as the problematic ribs are no longer rubbing against each other or irritating the intercostal nerves.
