A Modified Technique for Pectus Carinatum Surgery: Partial Costal Cartilage Resection and Pre-sternal Compression with Using a Stainless Steel Bar

Lee, Seock Yeol; Oh, Jae Yun; Lee, Seung Jin; Lee, Chol Sae

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The surgical treatment of pectus carinatum is usually a modified Ravitch operation that consists of complete costal cartilage resection and sternal wedge osteotomy. We tried a simple and easy technique that is resection of only deformed, protruded costal cartilage and pre-sternal compression with using a stainless steel bar and this is done without sternal osteotomy. Therefore, we performed partial cartilage resection and pre-sternal compression with a stainless steel bar and we observed the effects and the efficiency of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From July, 2006 to June, 2008, 10 patients with pectus carinatum underwent our modified technique of pectus carinatum surgery. The effects of surgery and the complications were reviewed. RESULT: 5 patients with only pectus carinatum underwent our modified technique of pectus carinatum surgery. 5 patients with pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum underwent our modified technique of pectus carinatum surgery and Nuss surgery. The mean patient age was 13.4+3.3 years old. The mean operation time was 137.6+22.9 minutes for the pectus carinatum patients and 234.0+36.5 minutes for the pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum patients. The mean length of hospitalization was 11.8+1.0 days. The Haller pectus index of pectus carinatum was 2.10+/-0.21 preoperatively and this was increased to 2.53+/-0.07 postoperatively. The only complication was simple partial wound disruption in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: We performed partial cartilage resection and pre-sternal compression with a stainless steel bar in 10 patients with pectus carinatum and its effects were good. Our modified technique of pectus carinatum is easy and simple as compared with the Ravitch operation. But removal of the stainless steel bar has not yet been performed for these patients and long-term follow up is needed to accurately evaluate the effects of this surgery in many surgical cases.