Bifid Rib: Is there any treatment?

[gf104]

Hello, I have a fairly large defect on the left side of my chest wall. I went to see my GP and she sent me off to get an X Ray. It was found to be a bifid rib and I was hoping there could be something that could be done to fix it so there wasnt this large bump on my chest wall. I then went to 2 cardiothoracic surgeons to see if anything could be done. Both said that they had never seen the condition before and that they did not know of anything that could be done.

I was just wondering if anyone knows of any surgery that anyone has had to fix it. If anyone else has a bifid rib it would be good to hear from you and get any information you know about it. If you. want to know something about it then ust let me know and I will try and answer it for you

Thanks heaps.

[KLR1021]

I was wondering if anyone had any more current information on bifid rib. Any personal experiences are appreciated!! My son has a fairly large lump on his left side of his chest and we have had X-ray and ct scan to reveal bifid 3rd rib. Our pediatrician has referred him to orthopedic specialist (who had no idea what to do) and is now making referral to another specialist. Any info is appreciated!

[AMTMom]

I took my son to see what was causing the lump I had noticed on his chest. They took X-rays and determined he had a bifurcated rib. He was referred to a cardio thoracic surgeon. The doctor said it shouldn't cause him any health problems. The only issue was that it may grow as he grows and he may want it removed once he is old enough to feel self conscious about it. The doctor said to come back and see him if we decide to surgically remove the bifurcated part of his rib. They will put in an implant to replace the part they take out so it is best to wait until after puberty to have the surgery. That way he won't have to have more surgeries to put in bigger implants as he grows. The doctor didn't have very much information on the condition because it is so rare. Any information you obtain concerning the condition would be greatly appreciated. The doctor we saw was Dr. John Mack at University Heart Surgeons in University of Tenessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. I hope this helps you. If you find out anything you would like to share, my email is ***@****.

[GrannaJ]

My daughter has a bifid rib that was diagnosed around the age of 5 or 6 when I noticed a lump in her ribcage area. Her pediatrician immediately suspected a bifid rib, but x-rayed her to confirm the diagnosis. He didn't seem surprised to find it, nor did he indicate that it is a rare condition at all. He said that it's harmless and that nothing needed to be done about it. He said the lump would most likely become less noticeable as she grew, and that is exactly what happened - despite the fact that she has always been very slender. She has never had problems of any kind as a result of it, and considering that she turned 47 years old recently her pediatrician proved to be quite correct - her bifid rib was a non-issue.

[Karpatskydrak]

what kind of implant did they give you do you have any contact for doctors whose operated you?

[Karpatskydrak]

I would like to ask you if you can help me with my rib deformity issue.
Im european . My problem is that I have one more abnormal rib, abnormal part of rib ,causing problems,it's fourth rib  on the right side of my chest.
I would just ask you if is it possible to take this one abnormal part out of by body,without regrowing again.
I already was on the surgery in Austria,the doctor corrected my second and third rib on this side of chest by resection of them they were rotated out because of abnormal rib.The doctor already took abnormal part from the rib out of my body and it looked better for a while I was wearing kind of chest bracer for 5 month. but after I took down the chest bracer the abormal rib cartilage and abnormal part of the fourth rib regrowed again. Its small but Im not feeling good again. I contacted you because I was reading about the rib hump and the thoracoplasty.because there are 2 part inside of my chest I still dont like there is a abnormal cartilage close to the sternum its like a rib hump..second part is the abnormal bifid rib connected with this abnormal cartilage.I would like to ask you if you can take it out somehow without regrowing again. I would travel to U.S I already spended lot of money on this and Im not satisfied yet..I have one possbility how to take the abnormal part of the rib out, there is a possibility, one company will model a kind of covering from titan material for the rib to stay it normal..but we still dont know how to erase the cartilage close to the sternum ,because its still regrowing after the surgery.and there can not be any titan close to the sternum,doctors says there is not possible to catch any titan to the sternum..

[AGoodman410]

How invasive is the surgery if done on a 2yr old? Thanks

[AGoodman410]

My 2 yr old son had an xray done on his chest to determine what a lump was that was located over his heart. His dr. said it was a 5th BIFID rib. What are the concerns or risks for this and should I get a second opinion?Very worried.

[KLR1021]

What further info can you give me about your sons bifid rib? Did he see a specialist, and what did they end up doing for him!? Trying to find out info because my son was also just diagnosed with this and we are wanting answers and guidance!

[Rwisurg]

Hi.

I am a Cardiothoracic Surgeon and have seen a few to date. It does grow with the child and occasionally may result in this unsightly bump. Occasionally, it may be associated with a mild form of Pectus Excavatum. I do suggest removing it before 4 to avoid any psychological issues as the child goes through school and puberty. If the cartilage and portion of rib is removed within the perichondrium and periostium  respectively, there need not be any implants and you will get a good cosmetic result. Any less than ideal lung function may be a function of the Pectus Excavatum but may not improve much with surgery.

[Wisemanswife]

My daughter is 21 now and has lived with this. It did not stay noticeable as she developed into a young woman. However, she is now experiencing horrible pain and no one seems to know where to send her for help. Her pediatric surgeon wont help us since we did NOT let her cut my daughter open at age 3. It has always been uncomfortable for her but now she is in so much pain that none of the pain patches help. ANY advise is welcome!  

[babybug2007]

Hi
I am from Australia,
And I had a Bifid Rib, was diagnosed in 1971, and when I was 13 was operated on, and had an implant put where the deformatiy once was.
I was supposed to go back every year until I was 18 to have another operation done, a bigger implant put in.
It never got done, due to other doctors not knowing anything about it, so gave me a clean bill of health.
I have had two children, and had a hard time carrying them as I got further into my pregnancy due to  to respiratory problems, not sure if it was the result of the operation, and is the implant breaking down?
If I get sick, I have now had 3 bouts of pneumonia, and if I get sick get respiratory problems, but even to this day, doctors do not know a lot about this, and I am still seeking answers at the age of 46.
Just found this so thought I would come on and tell you my story.
I was the first person either in the world or Australia to get this operation done, actually I might of been the second, as I recall the doctor who had operated on me, was speaking to a doctor from the USA, about how to do the operation.
regards
lisa

[Mum_of_Five]

Hi Lisa,
I too am from Australia and around your age, I have just been recently diagnosed with this condition and would like to seek more info on it as I hardly know anything about it.
Much appreciate any info you can pass along.
Hope to hear from you
Kind regards
Sharon

[AlishaWilson84]

My daughter will be 7 in November and she was misdiagnosed at age 2 with a tumor, we had to rush her to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock and they did many xrays and said it was a bifurcated rib. She goes to see her surgeon every 3 years. She has an appt on the 23rd of this month because it is growing faster and starting to cause some pains. They said she would need surgery around age 14-17 to have it fixed, because it would look abnormal and she would be very self conscious later on in life.

[lozza1970]

Hi , my 10 year old daughter has a bifid rib . We noticed it forst when she was 3 and it was not diagnosed properly, as she grew it grew and so I went again when she was 6. After several different angles chest x rays they diagnosed it as a bifid rib. They said to wait until she started pubity and then undergo a esthetic operation to remove the problem part of the rib so it doesnt look like she has 3 breasts. I only came across your post as she is now 10 and before we go ahead with planning her surgery I wondered if I could get any info from anyone who has also had this operation.

[thezak]

What other bifurcated rib online forums and weblinks are worth checking?...

[pinkmartini]

Hi
my 5 year old son has been diagnosed with havin a bifid rib but our dr didn't really tel us much or seem overly concerned about this.
However as he's growing it is growing with him & is getting rather large & unsightly, it looks like he is growing a breast!
This concerns me as i really don't know what can be done if anything & what medical problems this may cause as he grows more!
have you found out anymore yet?
thanks
x

[KLR1021]

Did your son see a specialist for this? What info can you give? My 3 year old has been diagnosed with this and has a large lump also. Just trying to get any and all info as this is pretty uncommon!