CaroMont Health Surgeons First In State To Perform Minimally-Invasive Rib Surgery

GASTONIA, N.C., April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Last month, Dr. Graydon Stallard and Dr. Anthony Raspanti of CaroMont Surgical Associates were the first in North Carolina to perform a minimally-invasive procedure to repair a patient's fractured ribs. Performed at CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia, the innovative surgery, called Thoracoscopic Assisted Rib Plating (TARP), became only the eighteenth case in the world after its recent approval by the FDA.

Used to treat rib fractures that could benefit from surgical stabilization, TARP allows surgeons to implant a permanent steel band on the inside of the rib cage. The band stabilizes the fracture and allows the bones to heal quickly.

"Until this new procedure was introduced, the management of most rib fractures had been pain management," Dr. Stallard explained. "Because your rib cage is affected by breathing, your bones move with every inhalation and exhalation. So when you have a broken rib, it is not only incredibly painful but your body is trying to heal a moving target. It can take months for a patient to get back to normal, and that means several months of pain and limited range of motion. This new procedure is going to make a significant difference."

Traditional rib plating surgery was available before TARP but required surgeons to make a large incision to completely expose and treat the broken rib bone. This invasive approach carries a higher risk of surgical complications, such as infection and bleeding.  Because of this, it was reserved as a last resort to stabilize critically-injured patients.

"It's an injury that trauma surgeons often discuss because, historically, there has not been a good solution." Dr. Stallard explains. "Imagine you're the sole bread winner for your family. Imagine living with this pain, not being able to work, and worse, the only relief is to rely on pain medication. Most rib fracture patients actually become chronic pain patients. In consideration of the opioid crisis in our county, I'm always looking for ways to reduce unnecessary exposure to narcotic medications."

TARP finally offers surgeons and their patients a solution.  It takes just three small incisions and little muscle disruption to insert and affix the metal implant to the inside of the rib cage. The implant is permanent and holds up the fractured rib much like an architectural truss.

For Dr. Stallard, that is why TARP is such an exciting surgery. Not because he and Dr. Raspanti were the first physicians in North Carolina to perform it or because of the cutting-edge technology, but because he sees it as an answer to an injury that, previously, had no answer. And, the answer is a very good one for his patients.

"It's so exciting because our patients will have shorter hospital stays and less dependency on pain management," said Dr. Stallard.  "It can help me get them back on their feet and back to living their lives faster."

About CaroMont Health:
CaroMont Health is a not-for-profit health system headquartered in Gastonia, NC. Committed to providing compassionate, exceptional and highly reliable care within five counties and two states, the system's 435-bed CaroMont Regional Medical Center was named among IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals in 2018 and has earned more Grade A ratings for Patient Safety by the Leapfrog Group than any other hospital in the region. With a focus on putting patients first, CaroMont Health has been a trusted healthcare partner since 1946.

For additional information, visit: www.caromonthealth.org.

SOURCE CaroMont Health