Chest Wall Injury Center
Part of Trauma Service
Leaders in Chest Wall Reconstruction
Stanford Health Care offers the only dedicated Chest Wall Injury Center on the West Coast. We provide expert care if you or your loved one have experienced major trauma to the chest. Major trauma includes broken ribs, displaced ribs, nonhealing rib fractures, and chest wall hernias.
900 Blake Wilbur Drive
Garden Level
Palo Alto,
CA
94304
Phone: 650-736-5800
What We Offer You for Chest Wall Trauma Care
- Specialized expertise in treating traumatic and chronic chest injuries. Go to Conditions Treated
- Advanced treatment options for surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) for ventilated and nonventilated patients. Go to Treatments
- Team-based care approach from surgeons, physiatrists, rehabilitation therapists, pain management specialists, and other experts. Go to Your Care Team
- Comprehensive support services to help you and your family focus on health and healing. Go to Support Services
- Ease of access to the only program of its kind on the West Coast. Go to Accessing Care
The Stanford Health Care Chest Wall Injury Center can help if you have experienced traumatic injury to the ribs and chest.
Acute Care
Many of our patients (85%) have acute rib injuries from a recent trauma and may or may not be on a ventilator to help with breathing. Types of rib injuries eligible for chest wall reconstruction include:
- Three consecutive ribs broken in two places with abnormal (paradoxical) motion of the chest and abdominal walls when breathing—a condition known as flail chest
- Fractured ribs with difficult or painful breathing
- Chest wall instability that causes a clicking sound or feeling
- Rib fractures that need a ventilator for breathing for longer than 48 hours after injury
- Hernias associated with chest wall injury
Surgery to stabilize rib fractures should occur as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours, depending on other injuries.
Chronic Care
Approximately 15% of our patients have chronic rib pain or breathing problems from an earlier chest wall injury. Ribs may not have healed after an injury. We call this malunion or nonunion, meaning that the bones did not fuse back together properly.
Malunion or nonunion can cause respiratory failure or pneumonia, along with chronic pain. You may qualify for chest wall reconstruction if you have had symptoms for several months after the initial injury.
The Stanford Health Care Chest Wall Injury Center specializes in surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) and surgical stabilization of sternal fractures (SSSF). This surgery uses special techniques for quicker healing.
The first step is to get images of any chest wall injuries. Our surgeons work closely with radiologists who perform X-rays, CT scans, and MRI procedures. Once images are available, surgeons determine if SSRF or SSSF is an appropriate treatment for you.
Each SSRF or SSSF procedure is unique to the location and type of rib injury. Most surgeries require at least one incision in the chest to repair the ribs. The surgeon inserts small plates—known as rib prosthetics or rib hardware—to stabilize and hold the ribs in place. The benefits of this treatment include:
- Better chance of survival from traumatic chest wall injury
- Fewer days in the intensive care unit (ICU) or hospital
- Fewer days on a ventilator
- Lower chance of getting pneumonia
- Lower chance of needing a tracheostomy (surgically creating an opening in the windpipe)
We perform SSRF and SSSF on adult patients (ages 18+).
Your Care Team
Your Doctors
Trauma and Critical Care Surgeons
Trauma surgeons specialize in treating internal injuries, rib and sternal fractures, and other conditions that result from severe injury.
View All {0} Trauma And Critical Care Surgeons »Advanced Practice Providers
Advanced practice providers include nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
View All {0} Advanced Practice Provider Doctors »Stanford is an Academic Medical Center, which is a type of hospital setting where doctors teach the entire spectrum of medical education. Students range from beginning medical students to fully licensed and practicing doctors completing advanced sub-specialty training. Stanford Medicine is a partnership between Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Health Care. Since Stanford is a teaching hospital, you can expect to meet many providers and providers in training.
- Attending Physician: a doctor who supervises doctors in training or in medical school
- Fellow: a doctor doing postgraduate level work and specializing in care of patients with specific conditions
- Resident: a doctor who has graduated from medical school and is in training (also called “residency”) here at Stanford. A resident is also called an intern
- Medical Student: a student who is currently enrolled in medical school with the goal of becoming a doctor
Extended Care Team
Your multidisciplinary extended care team helps manage care before, during, and after SSRF or SSSF treatment. The team includes:
Trauma Nurse
Trauma nurses provide emergency care including wound care, resuscitation, IV medication, blood transfusions, and more. They also assist with emergency surgeries.
Advanced Practice Provider (APP)
Advanced practice providers in the Chest Wall Injury Center consist of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists. APPs closely monitor your care, coordinate transitions of care, and communicate with family members and other members of the care team. APPs can make clinical decisions on your behalf.
Occupational Therapist
An occupational therapist specializes in therapeutic activities that help you regain and maintain your ability to perform activities of daily living.
Pain Medicine Physician
Pain medicine doctors help control your pain with respect for your individual needs. We offer pre-surgery nerve treatments and post-surgery medication, including non-opioid options. We also help you understand the psychology of pain.
Physiatrist
Physiatrists are physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians who create a treatment plan to improve any pain and discomfort from injury or surgery.
Physical Therapist
Physical therapists specialize in returning you back to maximum physical functioning in terms of strength, coordination, flexibility, endurance, or balance.
Support Services
We offer services to help you to feel your best throughout your care, from hospital admission through treatment and recovery:
- Social Work & Case Management
- Financial Counseling
- Guest Services
- Integrative Medicine (acupuncture, massage)
- Interpreter Services
- Spiritual Care
- Stanford Health Library
- Video visits for follow-up care
The Stanford Health Care Chest Wall Injury Center is part of our Trauma Service. Acute patients can transfer from Emergency Care or Urgent Care sites throughout the western United States, including from other trauma centers to our Level 1 trauma center. Emergency care physicians should call 650-736-5800 for immediate attention.
For Referring Physicians
PHYSICIAN HELPLINE
Fax: 650-320-9443
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stanford Health Care provides comprehensive services to refer and track patients, as well as the latest information and news for physicians and office staff. For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referral Information.
You may also submit a web referral or complete a referral form and fax it to 650-320-9443 or email the Referral Center at ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org.
