Does rib fracture need operation?

If the patient exhibits multiple rib fractures, flail chest, hemopneumothorax, pneumothorax, etc., surgery is performed. Closed thoracic drainage is performed first to remove excess gas or blood. Conservative treatment is recommended for patients with hemopneumothorax compression of less than 30% or no significant hemopneumothorax. Whether rib fracture should be operated on or not depends mainly on whether rib fracture has dislocation and the degree of dislocation, as well as flail chest formed by multiple rib fractures. Different treatment methods are adopted according to the specific conditions of patients.