A chest wall resection is a type of open-surgery (large incisions of 8-10 inches long / involves dividing the breast bone / general anesthesia) performed to remove all or part of soft tissue, cartilage, sternum and/or ribs. Chest wall resections are most commonly performed for tumors, infection, radiation necrosis, and trauma.
A chest wall reconstruction, also a type of open-surgery procedure, uses artificial bone or titanium rib plating, as a way to help rebuild the skeletal structure of your chest wall after chest wall resection. The decision to perform a reconstruction of the chest wall after resection will depend on the specific part affected, if there’s any cosmetic concern, or if there’s a possibility of respiratory failure.
