Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum: A single institution's experience

Background. The Nuss repair of pectus excavatum is a relatively new, minima lly invasive surgical (MIS) alternative to the traditional open "Ravitch-ty pe" operation. We have one of the larger single-center experiences to date, and we conducted this clinical study to evaluate our early experience, emp hasizing initial outcome and technical modifications designed to minimize c omplications. Methods. A retrospective chart review zoos performed on 112 patients who un derwent 116 Pectus excavatum repairs between January 1995 and January 2001. The Nuss procedure was performed in 80 patients, and open repair was perfo rmed in 32 patients. Information about demographics, deformity operative co urse, complications, and early outcome was recorded. Results. Operative duration was 143 minutes for the open group and 53 minut es for the Nuss MIS group (P < .001). Blood loss was 6 mL/kg for the open g roup and 0.5 mL/kg for the MIS group (P < .001). Postoperative hospitalizat ion was 3.2 days for the open group versus 3.7 days for the MIS group (P < .05). Conclusions. The MIS pectus repair can be performed safely with minimal blo od loss and reduced operative time. Short-term, analysis of the quality of repair; including absence of preoperative symptoms, patient satisfaction, a nd cosmetic appearance are encouraging.