title: Long-term Surveillance Comparing Satisfaction between the Early Experience of Nuss Procedure vs. Ravitch Procedure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long-term surveillance comparing satisfaction between the early experience of Nuss procedure vs. Ravitch procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 100 patients that underwent surgical correction of a pectus excavatum between 2001 and 2004 and were followed for ≥2 years were included. Surveillance on the degree of satisfaction was performed using five-levels of the Likert scale and self-assessment scoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nuss or Ravitch surgery was performed in 63 and 37 patients, respectively. The Nuss procedure required a shorter operation time and shorter hospital stay than the Ravitch procedure (p<0.001). The surveillance demonstrated that 17.6% of the Nuss group and 35.7% of the Ravitch group were not satisfied with the outcome of the surgery (p=0.072). The most common causes of dissatisfaction were redepression in the Nuss group (n=5) and incomplete correction in the Ravitch group (n=7). The multivariate analysis showed that reoperation and a high postoperative pectus index were significant risk factors for a low satisfaction score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Nuss procedure had several advantages over the Ravitch procedure in the immediate postoperative period. However, the long-term satisfaction was determined by a complete correction without recurrence or need for re-intervention rather than by the operation type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: In Kyu
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Funnel chest; Minimally invasive surgery; Outcome assessment; Quality of life; Thoracic wall