Sternal suspension technique in treatment of pectus excavatum after open repair of congenital heart disease

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of using sternal suspension technique in correcting pectus excavatum after open repair of congenital heart disease and improve the safety of this technique. Methods A retrospective study was conducted for 8 cases of pectus excavatum treated with sternal suspension procedure after open repair of congenital heart disease from October 2005 to October 2018 in our institution, 5 males and 3 females. The median age of patients was 5.75 years (range 3.75-12.33 years) and the median Haller index was 4.20(range 3.60-5.19). All patients underwent cardiac ultrasound and chest CT scan to evaluate the severity retrosternal adhesions. Results All patients underwent the sternal suspension procedure successfully with a median operation time 55 min (range 30-230 min) and a median blood loss of 2 ml (range 2-120 ml). There was one patient suffered pneumothorax after operation. The patients were followed up for 4 months to 13 years with an excellent and good outcome. Conclusion Sternal suspension technique is a safe and effective procedure for pectus excavatum. To improve the security and reduce the incidence of cardiac injury, sternal suspension technique is a promising alternative for pectus patients with severe adhesion after open repair of congenital heart disease. Key words: Pectus excavatum; Sternal suspension; Nuss procedure; Congenital heart disease