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Funnel chest repair; Chest deformity repair; Sunken chest repair; Cobblerâ ' s chest repair; Nuss
Pectus excavatum repair is surgery to correct pectus excavatum. This is a deformity of the front of the chest wall that causes a sunken breastbone (sternum) and ribs.
There are 2 types of surgery to repair this condition -- open surgery and closed surgery. Both of these are done while the child is in a deep sleep and pain-free from general anesthesia.
Open surgery is more traditional. In this method, the surgeon makes an incision (cut) across the front part of the chest.
The second type of surgery is a closed, less-invasive method. It is used mostly for children. No cartilage or bone is removed.
The most common reason for pectus excavatum repair is to improve the appearance of children who feel very self-conscious about the sunken look of their chest wall. Sometimes the deformity is so severe that it affects breathing, especially in adults later in life.
Surgery is usually not done before the age of 6. Best results are seen when the surgery is done before adulthood.
Surgery is usually done on children who are 12 to 16 years old. It can also be done on adults in their early 20s.
Tzelepis GE, McCool FD. The Lungs and Chest Wall Disease. In: Mason RJ, Murray JF, Broaddus VC, Nadel JA. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa; 2005:chap 83.
Sugarbaker DJ, Lukanich JM. Chest Wall and Pleura. In: Townsend Jr. CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL. Townsend: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 57.