Mild cases may respond to an exercise and posture program, whereas more severe cases require surgical correction. Pectus excavatum tends to run in families and is often present at birth, progressing as the child gets older. In the past, a variety of radical procedures were advocated. However , a new technique for correction of pectus excavatum has been developed by Dr. Donald Nuss , a pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. Refined for more than a decade, the Nuss Procedure for the correction of pectus excavatum requires no rib incision, no rib removal and no fracture of the sternum.
Blood loss is minimal and recovery time much shorter.
In addition, Dr. Nuss and Children's Hospital have developed a post-operative clinical pathway and standards of care, along with patient and family education materials, to complement this revolutionary new surgical procedure. The indications for surgery. Surgical correction of pectus excavatum is done for medical reasons. Children with moderate to severe defects often experience shortness of breath, exercise intolerance and chest pain. These are the results of compression and displacement of the heart and secondary lung compression.