Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery in Arizona

Treatment of Pectus Chest Deformity at Mayo Clinic

Before and After Photographs of Patients

Patient with Pectus Excavatum

Patient with Pectus Excavatum Repaired

Patient with Pectus Carinatum

Patient with Pectus Carinatum Repaired

Pectus chest deformity is a common birth defect found in approximately one in 400 children, predominantly in male children. There are two main types of pectus chest deformities: a concave chest wall (pectus excavatum or PE) or protrusion of the sternum (pectus carinatum or PC). Patients with severe pectus deformities can have physical limitations and experience breathing problems. Surgery to correct either type of pectus deformity can be safely performed with few complications and a short hospital stay. Surgeons at Mayo Clinic have extensive training and experience in pectus repair and the Mayo Clinic treatment program includes a comprehensive evaluation and thorough follow-up care.

Pectus Excavatum

Patients with pectus excavatum (PE) have a depressed breastbone or sternum. Signs of PE begin showing in early childhood but few symptoms are detected in the early years. During the fast-growth teen years, most patients experience a worsening of their sternal depression. As a result, space in the chest cavity for lungs to expand is diminished, making it difficult to breathe and causing shortness of breath and decreased endurance during exercise.

The heart of patients suffering from PE can be shifted into the left chest and/or compressed by the sternum. Cardiac compression reduces stroke volume and cardiac output causing an elevated heart rate and fatigue. Also, many patients with pectus excavatum experience discomfort in the lower chest.

Pectus Carinatum

Pectus carinatum is a deformity characterized by a protruding sternum. Patients with PC find it difficult to completely exhale the air in their lungs which restricts gas exchange and causes short, fast breathing and reduced exercise endurance. PC deformities may not show up until adolescent skeletal growth begins.

Surgical Correction of Pectus Deformity

Highly skilled thoracic surgeons at Mayo Clinic Arizona perform an open surgery to repair pectus deformities. An incision is made in the center of the patient's chest and short segments of abnormal cartilage next to the sternum are removed. The ribs are reformed so the chest is more normally shaped then put back together with small stainless steel wires. Finally, a thin, stainless steel bar is placed across the repaired chest to secure and stabilize the bones and muscles while they heal. After about six months of healing the stabilizing bar is removed during a simple, out patient surgery.