is pectus excavatum surgery worth it?

Here, there are some useful information about pectus excavatum, risks of surgical repair of pectus excavatum in detail and does pectus excavatum affect life expectancy also is pectus excavatum surgery worth it or not.

Pectus excavatum is a deformity of the chest wall where the sternum and ribs develop inwards, causing the rib cage and chest to appear sunken. In the vast majority of cases, pectus excavatum is harmless and is a cosmetic issue.

What are the risks of surgical repair of pectus excavatum?

The surgical repair of pectus excavatum, like other major surgeries, presents risks. While both the Nuss (Repair with a metal pectus bar) procedure and the modified Ravitch (Open repair) technique are safe and effective procedures, complications, although rare, can occur.

Possible complications from surgical repair of pectus excavatum include:

• Pneumothorax (air around the lung)v
• Pleural effusion (fluid around the lung)
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Bar displacement
• Pectus excavatum recurrence (comes back) after the bar is removed.

Pneumothorax

This is the accumulation of air in the pleural space, between the outside of the lung and the inside of the chest wall. Most of the time this only requires a follow up chest X-ray. However, a chest drain may be required as mentioned above in 2 percent of patients.

Pleural Effusion

This is the accumulation of fluid in the same pleural space, between the lung and the chest wall. This may require a follow-up chest X-ray or a chest drain may be required.

Bleeding

This is a rare complication, but if there is bleeding during the operation, a larger incision may be required.

Infection

Infection is also rare with the operation. Antibiotics are used in the first 24 hours after surgery to prevent infection. If the incisions or the bar become infected (in 2 percent of patients), more antibiotics may be needed. Rarely, patients develop an allergic reaction to the metal (1 percent of patients) and the bar may need to be replaced or removed.

Bar Displacement

The bars can move out of position (10 percent chance) and may need to be adjusted in the operating room. With recent modifications in the Nuss procedure, the incidence of bar displacement is less than 2 out of 100 patients. To prevent the bar from moving too much, patients are asked to limit their physical activities in the first 3 months after surgery.

Pectus Excavatum Recurrence

According to the research, there is about a 5 percent chance that the sternum will curve in again after surgery. This may happen when surgeries are performed prior to growth spurts (puberty) or not leaving the bar in long enough.

Risk of Death

There have been very few reports in the medical literature of injuries to the heart during bar placement over the last 25 years.

Does pectus excavatum affect life expectancy?

There is no evidence that pectus excavatum limits life expectancy or causes progressive damage to the heart and lungs over time. ... This is likely due to the normal aging process and increasing difficulties compensating for the functional impairments associated with pectus excavatum.

Is pectus excavatum surgery worth it?

Studies show that most patients who have the surgery are pleased with the results. One study of 86 adults concluded that the surgery had excellent post-operative outcome in the short term follow up and that patient satisfaction was excellent.

However, the Nuss and Ravitch procedures are invasive surgeries which have associated risks and come with a long recovery period. They are also expensive.