How is pectus carinatum treated?
Bracing and surgery are the pectus carinatum treatment options for people who want correction. Bracing is a nonoperative intervention that’s generally more effective in children. It requires compliance with the use of a brace, which can be challenging for children.
Pectus carinatum brace
This works like the way braces work on teeth. You wear the brace around your chest under or on top of your clothes. The brace provides pressure from both the front and back to move the breastbone back to its usual position. You wear it for up to 24 hours a day, for a period of six months to years. You can remove it for showering, sports and other activities.
A brace works best before a growth spurt because your chest wall is still flexible.
Pectus carinatum surgery
This involves a technique called the
. A surgeon makes an incision (cut) in the mid-chest area to remove cartilage in the front of your chest. They make a small cut in the front of your sternum and depress your sternum to a normal position. The surgeon anchors it into position with various techniques including sutures, plates or a bar.
A surgeon can use a minimally invasive surgery that’s similar to a
. They use a metal bar to depress your sternum. They leave the bar in for one or more years and remove it in a separate surgical procedure.
Surgeons have modified these procedures in different ways, but they usually secure the breastbone in some way.
Complications/side effects of the treatment
Bracing treatment for pectus carinatum is very safe. A small number of people may have irritation or breakdown of the skin where the brace touches it. If this happens, you can stop using the brace at the first sign of any irritation. Then you can ask your provider to adjust the brace.
The surgical repair of pectus carinatum, like other extensive surgeries, carries certain risks. Both the Ravitch and Nuss procedures are safe and effective. But complications can happen, including:
(collapsed lung).
Bleeding.
(fluid around your lung).
(inflammation around your heart).
Infection.
Breastbone supports moving out of place.
Recurrence (return) of pectus carinatum.
How long does it take to recover from this treatment?
After surgery, you may be in the hospital for one to five days. You’ll have a follow-up appointment with your surgeon after a few weeks.