Retrospective review of reoperative pectus excavatum repairs.
OBJECTIVE
Despite success of several techniques described for pectus excavatum repair, a minority of patients require multiple reoperations for recurrence or other complications. We aimed to review our experience in reoperative pectus excavatum repairs and to identify features correlating with need for additional reoperations.


METHODS
Charts were reviewed of all patients undergoing reoperative pectus excavatum repair for 3 years at a university-based children's hospital. Number and type of previous repairs, time between operations, lengths of stay, analgesia, and complications were recorded.


RESULTS
From February 2004 to December 2007, 170 pectus excavatum repairs were performed. Among these, 27 were reoperative. Overall, 18.2% of reoperative patients required subsequent additional reoperations. 21.1% of patients undergoing repeat open repairs and 33.3% of patients undergoing repeat minimally invasive repairs required further operative interventions. There was no need for additional repairs among patients who had open repairs after minimally invasive repairs, nor for any patients who had minimally invasive repairs after open repairs.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that patients with failed open repairs will have better success with minimally invasive reoperations, whereas patients with failed minimally invasive repairs will have better success with open reoperations. When faced with reoperative pectus excavatum, we recommend consideration of an alternative operative approach from the initial procedure.
Antonoff
Mara B
MB
Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Saltzman
Daniel A
DA
Hess
Donavon J
DJ
Acton
Robert D
RD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000601:surgery*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome