Which procedures are used to treat Pectus excavatum?

Which procedures are used to treat Pectus excavatum?

• A. Ravitch operation (old style) or Nuss procedure
• B. Lobectomy
• C. Pleurodesis
• D. Coronary bypass surgery

Answer: (A)

Pectus excavatum is a chest wall deformity where the sternum sits sunken inward, and the goal of treatment is to recontour the chest to improve heart and lung function and appearance. The two main procedures used are the Ravitch operation, the older approach that involves removing or repositioning the sunken cartilage and performing a sternal osteotomy with stabilization, and the Nuss procedure, a minimally invasive method that inserts a curved metal bar behind the sternum to elevate it, usually left in place for a period to remodel the chest and then removed. The choice between them depends on factors like the rigidity of the deformity and patient age, with the Nuss procedure often favored in children and adolescents and the Ravitch reserved for more rigid or older deformities or specific anatomical concerns. Other procedures listed do not address the chest wall deformity: lobectomy removes a lung lobe, pleurodesis sticks the lung to the chest wall to prevent recurrent pneumothorax, and bypass surgery reroutes blood flow around blocked coronary arteries.

Pectus excavatum is a chest wall deformity where the sternum sits sunken inward, and the goal of treatment is to recontour the chest to improve heart and lung function and appearance. The two main procedures used are the Ravitch operation, the older approach that involves removing or repositioning the sunken cartilage and performing a sternal osteotomy with stabilization, and the Nuss procedure, a minimally invasive method that inserts a curved metal bar behind the sternum to elevate it, usually left in place for a period to remodel the chest and then removed. The choice between them depends on factors like the rigidity of the deformity and patient age, with the Nuss procedure often favored in children and adolescents and the Ravitch reserved for more rigid or older deformities or specific anatomical concerns.

Other procedures listed do not address the chest wall deformity: lobectomy removes a lung lobe, pleurodesis sticks the lung to the chest wall to prevent recurrent pneumothorax, and bypass surgery reroutes blood flow around blocked coronary arteries.