How to take care of ribs 4 to 7 after surgery for chest wall tumors

In the late stage of chest wall tumor surgery to remove 4-7 ribs, attention should be paid to several aspects of care from preventing infection, preventing paradoxical respiration, avoiding pulmonary atelectasis as well as preventing scoliosis, etc. The details are analyzed as follows: 1. Prevention of infection: antibiotics should continue to be used to prevent infection as prescribed by the doctor after the operation, in addition, the skin around the wound should be wiped with a wet towel to keep the local area clean and dry. 2. Prevention of paradoxical breathing: the chest wall at the rib resection site is softened and paradoxical breathing may occur. Under the guidance of the doctor, the wound can be bandaged with crushed gauze under pressure, which not only eliminates abnormal breathing but also facilitates getting up and moving around at an early stage. 3. Avoiding pulmonary atelectasis: Coughing should be actively encouraged, and the patient should be patted on the back frequently to promote coughing up sputum. In addition, bronchoscopic aspiration can be done if necessary. 4. Prevent scoliosis: Encourage the patient to lie on the side of the operation, and put a small pillow under the armpit on the operation side. In addition, more breathing exercises should be done, which can correct the deformity.