Pectus Carinatum

Treatment of Children

Mayo Clinic's treatment team members work with each family to provide the most appropriate treatment option for pectus carinatum to meet each child's needs.

Mayo Clinic in Minnesota offers a nonsurgical pressure brace treatment option for children with pectus carinatum. Nonsurgical bracing is the recommended first-line treatment option for pectus carinatum repair. This treatment has proven very effective in improving or correcting the deformity when the patient wears the custom-fitted brace for 14 to 16 hours a day for one year or more. Patients follow up with their pediatric surgeon every few months during bracing treatment to ensure it is working effectively.

Surgery is recommended for children who are not candidates for bracing. Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Arizona offer surgical treatment for pectus carinatum. Children receive surgical care at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Minnesota and at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona, with surgery performed by Mayo surgeons.

Outcomes are typically excellent for patients who have undergone surgery to repair pectus carinatum during adolescence.

Pectus carinatum repair surgery also can be performed in adulthood if the child's family decides to delay it until then. The deformity often becomes worse as the patient ages.

Appointments

For appointments or more information, call the Central Appointment Office at 507-538-3270 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday or complete an online appointment request form.