title: [Minimally invasive approach of Nuss for the correction of pectus excavatum].
abstract: Since December 1999 to November 2003, we treated 68 patients with pectus excavatum using the Nuss minimally invasive procedure. Their ages were between 6 and 24 years old, with a mean of 12 years. Average Haller index was 4.1. Lateral stabilisers were used in all the cases, in 28% of them, two stabilisers were used. Mean operative time was 70 minutes (range 40 to 120). A thoracic epidural catheter was used for postoperative analgesia in 87% of the cases, with a mean duration of 3 days. The most frequent early complication was residual pneumothorax, which resolved spontaneously in 24% of the cases. The average hospital stay was 5.7 days. 93% of patients had excellent, very good or good results, in 5% of the cases the results were fair, and 2% had poor results due to thoracic asimetry and/or sternal rotation. The Nuss minimally invasive procedure is a useful method for treatment of pectus excavatum's patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría J.P.Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez Ferro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fraire
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamburri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*