Danny's Pectus Page

My 15 yr old son Danny has a condition called Pectus Excavatum. It is a congential birth deformity which causes the rib cartilage to grow too long, thereby pushing the sternum back into the chest towards the spine, giving the appearance of a sunken in chest. In Danny's case, it didn't appear until he was around 13. His pediatrician at that time told us it was just something people live with, and would probably never give him any problems. So we didn't worry about it. It wasn't until recently that I noticed his "dent" had deepened considerably, probably due to a huge growth spurt. He only had about an inch or two between his sternum and his spine. I began to worry that his health could be affected, so I began to research the condition on the internet. I discovered that 1 out of 1000 children are born with this, and that there are several different
procedures to correct it. We went to our primary care doctor, who referred us to a pediatric surgeon in Reno. We also went to a pediatric cardiologist, and his
echocardiogram showed that his right ventricle was being compressed. Although Danny was not having any major symptoms, I was sure that if this condition got worse, he would definitely have heart/lung problems as an adult.I read that most people with this severity, had problems with breathing, endurance, chest pains, along with the embarrassment of how it looks. Danny never took his shirt off.

Our surgeon, Dr. William Morgan in Reno ,NV, was quite experienced with PE. He had performed over 800 of these surgeries, so I was comfortable with having him do Danny. The insurance approved the surgery within a week, and Danny was scheduled for July 27. The surgery involves a 4 inch incision, cutting through chest muscles to get to the ribs. Then,the defective cartiledge is removed in 10 ribs, 5 on each side. The sternum is then raised to the proper position, and a metal bar is put behind the sternum and threaded through the ribs, to support the sternum while the new cartilage grows in and fuses to the sternum. The muscles are sewn up, and the incision is held together with steri strip tape. After 6 months, the bar will be removed, and he will be as good as new!

The surgery took about 2 and a half hours. He was is the hospital for 6 days. He is doing great, not having a lot of pain, and for the first couple of weeks, only took 2 to 4 pain pills a day. The pain medication was to make him more comfortable, as he described it a more uncomforable feeling than pain.He took it easy for a few weeks, but was ready for school 4 weeks post op. He stopped taking all pain medication at about 5 weeks. The worst part for him was the dizziness from lying around so much.

His chest looks great! What a difference. We are very happy with the results. The incision was covered with tape for the first 2 weeks. Then we took off the tape, and started applying vitamin E oil twice a day. I think it has improved the look of the scar. It was puffy and red, but now it is flatter and pink.

Danny already feels like he can breathe deeper, and can't wait to start running around again. At 7 weeks post op, he did almost anything, but is still not doing anyting stenuous. He can laugh without as much pain. The first 6 weeks he slept in a recliner, as it was more comfortable being at an angle. Now he is sleeping in his bed again, more flat. He was sore at first, but its getting better.

Update: 15 weeks - Danny and I have joined the local gym, and work out everyday. He is starting to build some muscle on his body. The scar is definitly fading also. Danny is very active and no longer as any discomfort from the bar.

Update: 6 months - Danny had the metal bar removed 6 months after the initial surgery. The bar removal surgery was quick and easy. He was in surgery only 20 minutes, and in recovery about 1 and a half hours. He had no pain after, and even went to a school dance the next night. His chest appears solid, and there is no sign of pe reoccurance. He continues with his weight training, and his posture is definitly better. The scar continues to lighten.

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If you have any questions, feel free to email me at nvdonna @yahoo.com