Pectus excavatum should see which department?

Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Updated on December 09, 2024

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If the patient is relatively young, under 14 years old, and wishes to consult about pectus excavatum care, pediatric healthcare can be considered. However, if the patient is older, or in addition to pediatric healthcare advice, seeks information on how to treat pectus excavatum, it is advisable to consult with a local thoracic surgery department, if available. This is because thoracic surgeons offer not only information on the causes or care of pectus excavatum but also treatment options. Both conservative treatment plans and surgical interventions are available from thoracic surgeons. Of course, not all hospitals have a department of thoracic surgery, but general top-tier hospitals typically do; if there is no thoracic surgery available locally, considering general surgery might be the only alternative.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

1min 33sec

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How is funnel chest formed?

Regarding the cause of pectus excavatum, there have historically been many hypotheses. For a while, medical experts believed that pectus excavatum was caused by the backward pulling of the diaphragm behind the sternum. Thus, for a time, surgeries abroad involved cutting the portion of the diaphragm behind the depressed area of the chest. Eventually, it was discovered that such cutting did not significantly benefit the treatment of pectus excavatum, and the results were not very conclusive. Therefore, this hypothesis was later debunked. To date, it is generally believed that the primary formation of pectus excavatum is somewhat related to genetic or hereditary factors. Of course, not all cases of pectus excavatum are due to parents having the condition; it might be present in the genes of ancestors and only manifest in the current generation or in this patient. Additionally, pectus excavatum could be associated with other diseases, such as connective tissue disorders. For example, some patients might have congenital diaphragmatic hernias, and after surgical repair, they could be prone to pneumothorax. Furthermore, some patients may suffer from pectus excavatum due to subglottic stenosis and underdeveloped bronchopulmonary structures, possibly triggered by respiratory factors. However, no matter the details, the formation of pectus excavatum is directly or indirectly related to congenital genes or heredity.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

48sec

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Pectus excavatum should see which department?

If the patient is relatively young, under 14 years old, and wishes to consult about pectus excavatum care, pediatric healthcare can be considered. However, if the patient is older, or in addition to pediatric healthcare advice, seeks information on how to treat pectus excavatum, it is advisable to consult with a local thoracic surgery department, if available. This is because thoracic surgeons offer not only information on the causes or care of pectus excavatum but also treatment options. Both conservative treatment plans and surgical interventions are available from thoracic surgeons. Of course, not all hospitals have a department of thoracic surgery, but general top-tier hospitals typically do; if there is no thoracic surgery available locally, considering general surgery might be the only alternative.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

57sec

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Does pectus excavatum hurt?

The sternum of pectus excavatum caves inward and backward, directly compressing the patient's heart or lungs, causing a certain degree of chest pain. This chest pain is not caused by pectus excavatum itself, but by the compression of the heart or lungs due to pectus excavatum. Imagine a normal ribcage as an oval shape; its cross-section is also oval and is a ratio of the patient's left-right diameter, transverse diameter, and anterior-posterior diameter. In normal individuals, this ratio is less than 2.5. In pectus excavatum, since the anterior-posterior diameter is significantly reduced and the sternum is markedly pressed towards the spine, the patient's heart is entirely compressed and deformed. Therefore, the patient's coronary arteries or valves may be squeezed and deformed, resulting in about 60% of pectus excavatum patients experiencing chest pain.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

56sec

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What should be noted for pectus excavatum?

We know that behind the sternum of a normal person are the heart and lungs. Pectus excavatum is a deformity where this part of the sternum is pressed inward towards the spine. Such inward compression, as it occurs right against the bony spine, will directly squeeze the heart and in severe cases, can lead to insufficiency in the heart valve closure. Therefore, the most critical issue with pectus excavatum is the compression of the heart, which also compresses the lungs. Thus, 80% of children with pectus excavatum have lower exercise capacity compared to normal children, 60% may experience chest pain, and 40% have a significantly higher respiratory rate than normal children. Therefore, for patients with pectus excavatum, it is crucial to be cautious about common colds, as their respiratory and cardiac functions can be greatly affected if they catch a cold.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong

Cardiothoracic Surgery

1min 21sec

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How to treat pectus excavatum?

There are many treatment methods for pectus excavatum, and the choice depends on the severity of the pectus excavatum, the age and chest wall elasticity of the child with pectus excavatum, the potential for further growth and development, and the expectations of the patient and their family. For younger children with pectus excavatum, where the chest wall is more elastic and soft, and in cases of mild pectus excavatum, a pectus excavatum suction cup can be considered. This device uses a certain amount of pressure, similar to a car suction cup, which is commonly seen in auto repair shops where a dented plastic bumper is gradually pulled out using a suction cup. This principle is also utilized by the pectus excavatum suction cup. Of course, this is under the premise that the patient is younger and has a softer chest, making it easier to be corrected by suction. For older patients with a harder chest, using a suction cup might not be appropriate, and surgical treatment may need to be considered. There are several surgical techniques available, ranging from the early Ravitch procedure, which involves a sternotomy and complete detachment of the sternum followed by flipping it, to the later Nuss procedure, and up to the current Wang surgical method and minimally invasive techniques.