Pectus excavatum in adolescents and children: the Nuss technique

Pectus excavatum (PE) is also known as funnel or sunken chest. PE is the most common type of chest wall malformation, indeed occurs in about 1 of 300–400 births with a male predominance (M:F =3:1). It is featured of a depression of the body of the sternum and in association abnormalities of the costal cartilages. The aspect of the defect variant from mild to very severe. PE is frequently asymptomatic during childhood, but symptoms like easy tiredness and decreased hardiness often appear when patients become teenager or are involved in competitive sports. Surgical correction for PE has become rifer thanks to development of the mini-invasive repair (MIRPE), described for the first time by Nuss in 1989. MIRPE consists in a thoracoscopic fixing of at least one metal bar, which is maintained in the chest at least 2 years.