Our comprehensive chest wall program has helped thousands of patients achieve renewed self-esteem, health and stamina through chest wall surgery.
Our team has extensive experience diagnosing and treating chest wall conditions including:
Making an appointment for evaluation is easy. Your primary care provider can refer your child, or you can call us directly to schedule an appointment.
At your first appointment, our care team will discuss care options. We will work together to create a tailored plan to best suit the needs of your child. Testing will be done at the Children's Pavilion.
Most patients need the following testing to help us determine the best and safest way to approach care:
After diagnosis, our cardiothoracic surgeon will work with your family to recommend the best treatment option for your child.
After diagnosis, we will work with you to recommend the best treatment option for your child. The options can range from observation (in mild cases), to non-surgical techniques, to minimally invasive surgery, depending on the severity of the condition. Rarely, a more invasive surgery might be recommended.
If surgery is necessary, we favor minimally invasive repair known as the Nuss procedure. This is our most commonly performed procedure and involves small incisions made on each side of your child’s chest (under the arms) to place a metal support bar to reverse the depression or sunken appearance of the chest.
Your child will be able to eat and move around right after surgery and return home usually in two days. Our inpatient physical therapy team will aid in helping them move more frequently and comfortably. Most children can return to school in a week and resume normal activity after six weeks.
We will schedule follow-up appointments and then arrange a time approximately two years after surgery to discuss removing the bar.
Not all patients require surgery and there are nonsurgical options, especially for milder cases.
After diagnosis, we will work with you to recommend the best treatment option for your child.
Commonly, pectus carinatum can be treated without a surgeon using a compression brace that will decrease the protrusion on your child’s chest over time. We have a comprehensive program around brace fitting and monitoring to assist your family through this process.
