Clinical experience of repair of pectus excavatum and carinatum deformities.
OBJECTIVE
We present the results of surgical correction of pectus excavatum (PE) and pectus carinatum (PC) deformities in adults, and also report a new method of sternal support used in surgery for PE deformities.


METHODS
We present the results of 77 patients between the ages of 10 and 29 years (mean 17) with PE (n = 46) or PC (n = 31) deformities undergoing corrective surgery from 2004 to 2011, using the Ravitch repair method. Symptoms of the patients included chest pain (15%) and tachycardia (8%). Three patients underwent repair of recurrent surgical conditions.


RESULTS
All of the patients with dyspnoea with exercise experienced marked improvement at five months post operation. Complications included pneumothorax in 5.1% (n = 4), haemothorax in 2.6% (n = 2), chest discomfort in 57% (n = 44), pleural effusion in 2.6% (n = 2), and sternal hypertrophic scar in 27% (n = 21) of patients. Mean hospitalisation was eight days. Pain was mild and intravenous analgesics were used for a mean of four days. There were no deaths. Results after surgical correction were very good or excellent in 62 patients (80%) at a mean follow up of three years. Three patients had recurrent PE and were repaired with the Nuss procedure. In three patients who underwent the Ravitch procedure, a stainless steel bar was used for sternal support instead of Kirschner wire.


CONCLUSIONS
Pectus deformities may be repaired with no mortality, low morbidity, very good cosmetic results and improvement in cardiological and respiratory symptoms.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
Murat
M
Oncel
Bekir
B
Tezcan
Kazim Gurol
KG
Akyol
Yüksel
Y
Dereli
Güven Sadi
GS
Sunam
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001864:Bone Wires; D002648:Child; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D016267:External Fixators; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D010027:Osteotomy; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult