Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum deformity (original) (raw)

A prospective study on quality of life in youths after pectus excavatum correction

Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2016

Background: The impact of correction of pectus excavatum (PE) on adolescents' health-related quality of life (HRQL) has only been investigated in prospective designs using disease-specific measures and without controls. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the HRQL before and after surgical correction of PE using a generic HRQL measure, and to compare the reported level of HRQL before surgery with an age-comparable control group. Methods: Patients (n=107) and one of their parents (n=106) completed the generic HRQL measure: the Child Health Questionnaire before, 3 months, and 6 months after correction for PE. A control group (n=183) consisting of school children comparable in age completed the same measure on one occasion. Results: The patients' level of HRQL before surgery was comparable to the level of the controls except for physical functioning; here boys reported impaired function compared to controls (P<0.0001, d=0.72). Both patients and parents reported improved emotional wellbeing and self-esteem, as well as an increase in physical and social activities from pre-to post-surgery. These improvements were statistically significant (P≤0.001-0.03) and yielded moderate to high effect sizes (ƞ 2 =0.04-0.22). Conclusions: The improvement of physical and psychosocial HRQL reported by both patients and their parents as proxy indicates the psychological implications of the deformity. Patients reported impaired physical function compared to controls. Further, pre-surgery differences in HRQL between the patients and the controls were lacking. However, the improvement in the patients' HRQL following surgery may justify the correction of pectus excavatum. The effect of the deformity on patients wellbeing compared with controls' needs to be addressed in further studies.

Quality of life outcomes after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum utilizing a new set of metallic bars and stabilizers

Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 2021

Background/Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the postoperative quality of life (QoL) of patients who underwent minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) with a newly designed bar and bar stabilizers. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized study in which patients were operated either with standard perpendicular stabilizers (control group) or with the newly designed oblique stabilizers (intervention group). All patients were evaluated 6 months after the operation with the Pectus Excavatum Evaluation Questionnaire (PEEQ). Results: There were 16 patients in the control group and 14 in the intervention group. Mean age was 17 (SD: 3.3, range 14-27) years. There were no demographic differences between groups. Two patients in the control group and one in the intervention group were repaired with two bars instead of one. There was one reoperation in each group. There was a significant difference between the pre-and postoperative scores, in both groups, in the patient body image domain (control group: 9.5 to 3; p b 0.01; intervention group 10 to 3; p b 0.01), as well as in the psychosocial domain (control group: 13.5 to 24, p b 0.01; intervention group: 15 to 24, p b 0.01). With regards to the patients' perception of physical difficulties before and after MIRPE, the difference between pre-and postoperative scores was greater in the intervention group (8 to 12, p b 0.01) than in the control group (10 to 11, p = 0.04). The mean length of stay was 4.5 and 5 days in the intervention group and the control group, respectively. Conclusion: Our study showed that patients who underwent MIRPE with the newly designed bars and stabilizers had non-inferior outcomes than patients reported in the literature who underwent MIRPE with standard bars and stabilizers. We found slightly better outcomes in patients in the intervention group compared to the control group, but larger studies will be needed to confirm if those differences are statistically significant.

Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) in adults: is it a proper choice?

Videosurgery and Other Miniinvasive Techniques, 2016

Introduction: The Nuss procedure is suitable for prepubertal and early pubertal patients but can also be used in adult patients. Aim: To determine whether the minimally invasive technique (MIRPE) can also be performed successfully in adults. Material and methods: Between July 2006 and January 2016, 836 patients (744 male, 92 female) underwent correction of pectus excavatum with the MIRPE technique at our institution. The mean age was 16.8 years (2-45 years). There were 236 adult patients (28.2%) (> 18 years)-20 female, 216 male. The mean age among the adult patients was 23.2 years (18-45 years). The recorded data included length of hospital stay, postoperative complications, number of bars used, duration of the surgical procedure and signs of pneumothorax on the postoperative chest X-ray. Results: The MIRPE was performed in 236 adult patients. The average operative time was 44.4 min (25-90 min). The median postoperative stay was 4.92 ±2.81 days (3-21 days) in adults and 4.64 ±1.58 (2-13) in younger patients. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.637). Two or more bars were used in 36 (15.8%) adult patients and in 44 (7.5%) younger patients. The difference was not statistically significant either (p = 0.068). Regarding the overall complications, complication rates among the adult patients and younger patients were 26.2% and 11.8% respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.007). Conclusions: MIRPE is a feasible procedure that produces good long-term results in the treatment of pectus excavatum in adults.

Quality of life improves after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum

Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals, 2015

Background: Pectus excavatum is the most common chest wall deformity. This deformity may cause physical limitations and psychosocial problems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum on the quality of life. Methods: This study included 88 patients, aged 18.44 AE 3.93 years (85.2% male), who underwent minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum; 40.9% had an associated anomaly or disease, and 17.0% had scoliosis. The patients and their parents completed the patient and parent forms of the Nuss questionnaire modified for adults preoperatively and 6 months after the operation. Results: The patients' median Nuss score increased from 31 (interquartile range 31-35) preoperatively to 43 (interquartile range 43-46) at 6 months after the operation (p ¼ 0.000). The parents' preoperative score of 33 (interquartile range 29-36) increased to 38 (interquartile range 34-41; p ¼ 0.000). Improvements in the physical and psychosocial component scores of the Nuss questionnaire were also significant in the patient (p ¼ 0.000, p ¼ 0.000, respectively) and parent forms (p ¼ 0.005, p ¼ 0.000, respectively). Conclusions: Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum significantly improved the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of patients. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the long-term changes related to quality of life.

A pilot study of the impact of surgical repair on disease-specific quality of life among patients with pectus excavatum

Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 2003

Background: This study was conducted to determine the ability of 2 questionnaires (ie, child and parent versions) to measure physical and psychosocial quality-of-life changes after surgical repair of pectus excavatum. Methods: The authors administered these questionnaires by telephone interviews with 22 parents and 19 children (ages 8 to 18) before surgery and 6 to 12 months after repair by the Nuss procedure. Results: The instruments had high test-retest reliability (Rho Ͼ 0.6 for all retained questions). Children reported significant improvements in exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, and tiredness. Of 9 questions asking the children how they feel or act about their bodies, all but one question showed significant improvement after surgery. Parents also reported significant improvements in their child's exercise tolerance, chest pain, shortness of breath, and tiredness and decreases in the frequency of the child being frustrated, sad, self-conscious, and isolated. Conclusions: These questionnaires appear to be more than adequate to measure disease-specific quality-of-life changes after surgery. These data confirm for the first time that surgical repair of pectus excavatum has a positive impact on both the physical and psychosocial well-being of the child.

Early Consequences of Pectus Excavatum Surgery on Self-Esteem and General Quality of Life

World Journal of Surgery

Background An early observation after chest wall correction is direct inspection from the PE patient of their ''new'' thorax. Changes in self-perception may give raise to other psychological adaptations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early changes in the fields of self-esteem, body image and QoL. Methods Prospective observational longitudinal multicenter cohort study. Self-esteem, emotional limitations and general health were assessed using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) in patients under 18 and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-bref (WHOQOL-bref) was used for body image, psychological domain and overall QoL in patients over 16 years of age. Measurements were taken before surgery (T1) and 6 weeks (T2), and 6 months thereafter (T3). Results Scores on post-operative self-esteem were significantly higher compared with scores pre-operatively (p \ 0.007). Also body image, psychological domain and emotional limitations showed significant improvement, respectively p \ 0.001, p \ 0.001, and p \ 0.016. Significant improvement in the first three components was mainly achieved in the first 6 weeks post-operative. In emotional limitation, however, the largest change was between 6 weeks and 6 months. Overall quality of life in the WHOQOL-bref and general health domain in the CHQ showed no significant improvement in relation to the pre-operative scores. Conclusion Post-operative PE patients after Nuss procedure showed an improved body image, increased self-esteem and increased psychological resilience in the first 6 months, with the most marked change in the first 6 weeks. Also emotional limitations changed significantly over time. The changes were not large enough to influence general QoL or general health significantly.

The Influence of Pain: Quality of Life after Pectus excavatum Correction

Introduction: The main indication for surgery of thoracic wall deformities (TWD) is psychological due to cosmetic complaints. The assumption is that appearances have a negative effect on self-esteem and quality of life (QoL). Correction should result in improvement. Methods: Prospective trial. QoL was assessed using the CHQ and the WHOQOL-bref. Measurements were taken before surgery (T1) and 6 weeks thereafter (T2). Results: Forty-two patients were included. WHOQOL-bref showed differences between pre-operative and six weeks past surgery on facet body image (p = 0.003). Self-esteem (CHQ) did not show a significant improvement at T2. Concerning the scores on the single step questionnaire (SSQ), 33 patients were “very” to “extremely satisfied” with appearance and increased self-esteem (p < 0.001). Concerning the domain “pain and physical complaints”, CHQ did show a significant change (p < 0.001) with more complaints at T2. Conclusion: Six weeks after surgical correction of a TWD satisfaction with the “new” chest is good; pain seems to be a problem with possible negative influence on self-esteem.

Surgical Repair of Pectus Excavatum Markedly Improves Body Image and Perceived Ability for Physical Activity: Multicenter Study

PEDIATRICS, 2008

OBJECTIVE. This study evaluated changes in both physical and psychosocial quality of life reported by the parent and child after surgical repair of pectus excavatum. METHODS. As part of a multicenter study of pectus excavatum, a previously validated tool called the Pectus Excavatum Evaluation Questionnaire was administered by the research coordinator, via telephone, to parents and patients (8–21 years of age) before and 1 year after surgery. Eleven North American children's hospitals participated. From 2001 to 2006, 264 patients and 291 parents completed the initial questionnaire, and 247 patients and 274 parents completed the postoperative questionnaire. Responses used a Likert-type scale of 1 to 4, reflecting the extent or frequency of a particular experience, with higher values conveying less-desirable experience. RESULTS. Preoperative psychosocial functioning was unrelated to objective pectus excavatum severity (computed tomographic index). Patients and their parents reporte...

Nuss procedure improves the quality of life in young male adults with pectus excavatum deformity

European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 2006

Objective: The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive pectus repair. This study represents an attempt towards exploring the changes in quality of life and overall satisfaction in young male adults who underwent a Nuss procedure. Methods: We have included 20 male patients with a median age of 18 years (range: 14-37 years). We have used two specific questionnaires: the two-step Nuss evaluation Questionnaire modified for Adults (NQ-mA) and a new Single Step Questionnaire (SSQ). The data was analysed using Wilcoxon signed rank test to determine statistical significance of differences, with a <0.05 level of significance. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between the answers. Results: The primary indication for surgery was cosmetic. Both questionnaires were adequate to measure disease-specific quality-of-life changes after surgery and were able to confirm the positive impact of surgery on both the physical and the physiological well-being of young adults. Statistical analysis of the scoring of the individual questions and the total score of individual patients revealed a statistically significant improvement ( p < 0.05) following surgery. The SSQ had a highly significant correlation to the NQ-mA questionnaire (correlation coefficient = 0.682, p = 0.001). Overall, the SSQ revealed a statistically significant improvement ( p = 0.001) in self-esteem and a high level of satisfaction following the Nuss procedure. Only two patients fell into a low satisfaction group. Conclusion: The Nuss procedure has already been shown to have a positive impact on both the physical and psychosocial well-being of children who are suffering from pectus excavatum deformity. We have shown a similar positive impact in young male adults, in the short term. #

Current Development of Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum (MIRPE)

Children

For decades, open surgical repair was the only available method to treat congenital and acquired chest wall deformities (CWDs). In 1998, D. Nuss described a minimally invasive procedure for surgical repair of Pectus excavatum (PE). Today, the Nuss procedure is performed with increasing frequency worldwide and considered as the “gold standard”. After its introduction, the method experienced numerous modifications such as routine thoracoscopy and/or sternal elevation, increasing safety of the procedure. Placement of multiple bars and/or the so called cross-bar technique were introduced to correct complex CWDs. Standardized pain management, the introduction of cryo-analgesia and a standardized postoperative physiotherapy program including deep breathing exercises facilitate the establishment of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) process. However, the widespread use of the minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) procedure has been associated with a significant numbe...