title: [Thoracoscopy assisted Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum correction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the short-term effect and experience of Nuss procedure on 120 cases of patients with pectus excavatum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thoracoscopy assisted Nuss procedure with different ways of anesthesia were applied to 120 cases of patients with pectus excavatum, including 7 cases of recurrence after traditional surgical procedure (6 cases) and Nuss method (another one). The patients ranged in age from 2.5 to 43 (mean 14.1) years and in Haller index from 2.91 to 29. Of the 120, 73 had symmetric and 47 had asymmetric pectus excavatum. The Nuss procedure is performed with general anesthesia and a convex steel bar is inserted under the sternum with thoracoscopy through small bilateral thoracic incisions. The steel bar is inserted with the convexity facing posteriorly, and when it is in position, the bar is turned over, thereby correcting the deformity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The operation was successfully accomplished without severe complications in all the 120 cases. The mean operative time was 58 minutes and the mean volume of blood loss was 30 ml. 103 patients had one bar inserted while the other 17 cases with more extremely diffuse depression required 2 or even 3 bars to get a satisfactory correction. Such methods as modifications to the fixing points and the shape of the bar, partial osteotomy, were developed to deal with asymmetric ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive technique for correction of pectus excavatum. It can lead to a satisfactory outcome and surgical time is less.
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, China. chenganggz@yahoo.com.cn
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Chen
authors: Xiao-song
authors: XS
authors: Ben
authors: Ji-ming
authors: JM
authors: Tang
authors: Hai-yu
authors: HY
authors: Zhou
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Xie
authors: Pu
authors: P
authors: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D055815:Young Adult