The surgical treatment of pectus excavatum in infants

Objective:To review the surgical experience with pectus excavatum deformities in infants.Methods:Retrospective study was carried out on 43 infants with pectus excavatum deformities from January 1994 to October 2001.There were 31 male patients and 12 female patients.40 patients with PE underwent modified sternal elevation and 3 sternal turn-over operation.Results:Except one case of associated pneumonia and another of wound infection,the other cases had normal contours.The follow-up period was 6 months～7 years postoperatively.Except that two had logical notch and one had a flat contour in thorax,all patients had satisfactory results.Conclusion:Pectus excavatum deformities can be early operated.Correction of pectus excavatum by using sternal elevation procedure and fixation with Lucite results in an excellent cosmetic outcome.