Pecus Excavatum Case

I was born with Pectus Excavatum, a condition where the breast bone sinks directly into the chest. This condition is three to five times more common in boys than girls. Pectus Excavatum affects approximately 1 out of 400-1000 children ("Pediatric Surgery - Pectus Excavatum," n.d.) and becomes more severe as the child matures. Surgery to correct the deformity is typically performed when the patient is still young because the chest hasn’t fully developed and the bones are more malleable compared to adults. However, adults can also have surgery to correct the deformity. In my case the deformity did not develop into a severe state until puberty. This affected my family because I insisted on getting surgery to repair the defect. As the condition continuously worsened I expressed my concerns to my mom and we made an appointment to consult with a surgeon at C.S Motts Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. After the surgeon looked at my chest he determined that I was a suitable candidate for surgical correction. The surgeon explained that there are multiple procedures available, but suggested that we choose the minimally invasive Nuss procedure. This procedure involved inserting a stainless-steel bar under the sternum to push the chest wall up. This is done with two small incisions on each …show more content…
This procedure is generally used to correct Pectus Carinatum; a deformity of the chest that is basically the opposite of Pectus Excavatum. The modified version of this procedure involves a large incision across the chest used for removal of deformed cartilage and repositioning of the sternum to its normal position. ("Department of Surgery - Modified Ravitch Procedure," n.d.) Due to the severity of the scar caused by the Ravitch and the fact that I was a solid candidate for the less invasive procedure, my family and I, along with the advice of my surgeon chose the Nuss procedure to correct my chest