Pectus excavatum and carinatum

Pectus carinatum is a pediatric condition where an overgrowth of rib cartilage causes the chest to protrude forward, whereas PE — the most common type of the two abnormalities — is caused by the ribs connecting to the sternum, which forces the breastbone to sink inward.

These conditions most often occur:

• After traditional heart surgery
• From birth, identified around two to three years old
• In preadolescent males between 11 to 14 years old during a growth spurt

If your child has this condition, they will likely develop normal hearts and lungs, but the deformity of the chest wall may prevent them from functioning fully in daily life. Your child may experience:

• Back or chest pain
• Decreased endurance
• Shortness of breath during activity

In addition to physical symptoms, there can also be psychosocial implications for your child. The shape of their chest can cause embarrassment, lack of self-confidence and a possible disruption to social connections through adolescence and into adulthood.

These conditions are diagnosed by one of our pediatric surgeons during a physical examination. They can be treated using both nonsurgical and surgical methods.

Pectus carinatum procedures

Our surgeons know multiple ways to correct your child’s forward chest protrusion. We use these methods to make sure your child receives the most effective personalized care possible.

• Dynamic compression device brace — The preferred choice during childhood while the chest is still growing, this minimally invasive brace applies just enough pressure to correct the abnormality but still encourages gradual movement to the sternum so that it’s comfortable.
• Pectus carinatum surgery — If bracing isn’t appropriate or fails to correct your child’s chest protrusion alone, our surgeons repair it by reshaping or removing abnormal rib cartilage. Sometimes, they may make additional changes to the sternum or reposition it.

PE surgery

We use the Nuss procedure to correct PE, a minimally invasive surgical approach where a curved steel bar is placed under your child’s sternum. The bar — which isn’t visible from the outside and stays in place for at least two years — is customized to your child and instantly corrects PE.