title: The use of sternal wedge osteotomy in pectus surgery: when is it necessary?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Ravitch procedure is a well-established surgical procedure for correction of chest wall deformities. Sternal wedge osteotomy is an important part of this procedure. We studied the incidence of wedge osteotomy with respect to the type of chest wall deformity in patients undergoing surgical correction with the use of a recently developed chest wall stabilization system.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 47 patients, 39 (83%) male and 8 (17%) female with a mean age of 14.9 ± 2.1 years, underwent the Ravitch procedure. Twenty-four (51.1%) had pectus carinatum, 19 (40.4%) had pectus excavatum, and 4 (8.5%) had pectus arcuatum. A conventional or oblique sternal wedge osteotomy was performed as indicated, followed by chest wall stabilization using the MedXpert system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 47 patients, 27 (57.4%) had a sternal wedge osteotomy. All cases of pectus arcuatum and redo cases underwent sternal wedge osteotomy. Pectus excavatum cases tended to have a greater incidence of wedge osteotomy compared to pectus carinatum cases (68.4% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.052). Patients with more resected ribs had a greater rate of wedge osteotomy (63.4%) compared to those with fewer resected ribs (16.7%, p = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A sternal wedge osteotomy is more commonly performed in patients with pectus excavatum compared to those with pectus carinatum. All redo and pectus arcuatum cases need a wedge osteotomy for proper correction. Wedge osteotomy is very likely in more aggressive corrections with more rib resections.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey murat19071966@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Arnavutkoy Government Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Gokhan
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Gundogdu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Basaksehir Government Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih Zeki
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Kadioglu
authors.affiliation: Acibadem University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ertug Can
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cayirci
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Esenyurt Government Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taskin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D066166:Pectus Carinatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D012272:Ribs / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013249:Sternum / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Funnel chest; Sternum; Thoracic surgical procedures