Children and teenagers who suffer from a condition called funnel chest, or pectus excavatum, in which the chest wall becomes caved-in, now have a safe, effective and simpler surgical alternative to correct the condition, according to an article in a recent issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
“The new technique reconstructs the chest wall in one operation by using plastic mesh bands instead of a metal plate with a body brace,” said Jeffrey Gold, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Montefiore Medical Center and senior author of the article. “And, the bands do not have to be removed, because the body heals around them.”
The standard treatment for funnel chest involves wearing an uncomfortable body brace and undergoing two surgical procedures -- one to remove extra cartilage in the rib cage and to insert a metal plate behind the sternum, and another, later on, to remove the plate.
Dr. Gold, who has used the breakthrough technique over the past decade, says it has successfully corrected the sunken chest of all 52 patients he treated and has been “extremely well accepted by patients and families.” The patients included 32 females and 20 males who ranged in age from 4 to 39 years.
Patients with pectus excavatum frequently have difficulty with exercise and have associated medical problems. This was the case with Dr. Gold’s patients, 6 of whom had cardiac problems and 22 of whom had associated pulmonary problems, such as asthma – all of which were also treated. Twelve of the patients had Marfans, a connective tissue disorder.
Funnel chest is caused by excessive growth of the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone. The excess cartilage forces the ribs to curve in a manner that pushes the breastbone, or sternum, inward. To correct the problem surgically, the excess cartilage is removed. Then, using the plastic mesh bands, the straightened ribs and breastbone are brought together in a ways that pushes the sternum out.
Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, ranks among the top one percent of all US hospitals based on its investments in medical innovation and cutting-edge technology.