Abstract:Objective To analyze the effects of thoracoscopic internal fixation in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with multiple rib fractures (MRF) at different surgical timings on the patient’s immunity, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress indicators, complications, and fracture healing, and to evaluate the pros and cons of different surgical timings.Methods The clinical data of 105 patients with MRF who underwent thoracoscopic internal fixation from December 2017 to February 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the timing of the operation, they were divided into observation group (operation less than 72 h after onset) and control group (onset ≥ 72 h for surgery), the surgical indicators, short-term postoperative recovery were compared, and recorded related injury indicators [abbreviated injury scale (AIS), lung contusion score,combined injury score, injury severity score (ISS)], immune indicators, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress factors on the 7th day after surgery, complications, and fracture healing 3 months after surgery.Results Compared with the control group, the observation group had earlier time to get out of bed and extubation time, shorter pain time and hospitalization time, the postoperative combined injury score was higher, and the ISS was lower, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05); 7 days after surgery, CD4+, CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ were increased in two groups, and observation group was higher than control group, CD8+ was decreased in two groups, and observation group was lower than control group, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), advanced oxidative protein products (AOPP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were all decreased in the two groups on the 7th day after operation, and the observation group were lower than those in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The total incidence of complications (3.64%) in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (28.00%), the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The healing rate in the observation group (87.27%) was higher than that in the control group after 3 months (68.00%), the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).Conclusion Compared with advanced thoracoscopic internal fixation, early treatment can benefit ICU patients with MRF more. The main manifestation can be faster recovery after surgery, faster relief of body stress, pain, inflammatory reaction, chest and lung injury, and relief immunosuppression, and reduce the incidence of complications.