- Governor Jim Pillen underwent successful rib fixation surgery at Nebraska Medicine on Wednesday.
- Rib fixation surgeries utilize titanium plates to help hold broken ribs in place
- Governor Pillen has been moved to the step-down unit for recovery.
- The governor's office will provide further updates on his condition.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Governor Jim Pillen spent Christmas in the hospital undergoing surgery to stabilize broken ribs, after being bucked off one of his horses.
Governor Pillen had rib fixation surgery, a procedure in which doctors put in titanium plates across fractures to help hold broken ribs in place.
"That can be very painful and just really help that patient get back to activities a day living, much quicker because now they can breathe better, they can cough, all those things that would prevent them from getting a pneumonia and having further complications from their rib fractures," said Chest Wall Injury Program and Trauma Medical Director at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Dr. Zachary Bauman.
Sunday, Governor Pillen was bucked from a horse near his property. He suffered a spleen injury, seven broken ribs, a fractured vertebrae, partially collapsed lung, and minor kidney injury. Based on his injuries he'd need about seven plates. Dr. Bauman told KMTV this is a sizable amount, but they will help through out his recovery process.
"The average is probably somewhere between 4 and 6, for the majority of rib fractures. If the fracture is bad enough, it can continue to, cause that lung to become punctured, and so by reducing these fractures and putting the plates across them, it helps prevent those those fractures from continuing to cause injury to that lung," said Dr. Bauman.
Dr. Bauman says the procedure helps cut recovery time in half, without the titanium plates the typical recovery time is about 12 weeks, those that underwent this procedure recover in about 6 weeks.
In a statement the Governor’s office issued the following update regarding the rib fixation surgery:
“The procedure was a success and Governor Pillen was returned to the step-down unit where he will continue his recovery from the horse-riding accident that occurred Sunday.
The Governor’s office will continue to provide updates as to Gov. Pillen’s recovery as circumstances warrant.”
