Surgical Benefits of Nuss Procedure
Why the Nuss Procedure?
Comparing the Nuss Procedure and older “open” surgical procedures. There are a number of benefits to the procedure’s less invasive approach.
The primary benefits include faster operating time, reduced blood loss, and a shorter recovery period. Clinical evidence suggests that because no cartilage or rib parts are removed during the surgery, the patient’s chest and rib cage will be allowed to heal and develop naturally. When compared to alternative open surgical procedures, the combined impact of these advantages is that a patient’s body is subjected to less trauma. The Nuss Procedure is a well-known and successful treatment for pectus excavatum.
Surgical Benefits of Nuss Procedure
Lung Function: Research focusing on the Nuss Procedure indicates that post-operative patients, who have had the bar removed, show significant improvement in lung capacity. This study suggests that patients have similar or equivalent lung function to healthy individuals with no history of pectus excavatum. This demonstrates that a patient’s lungs are able to function more efficiently following treatment with the Nuss Procedure and removal of the Pectus Support Bar.
Heart Function: Healthcare professionals use function tests to evaluate how well (or poorly) certain organs are working within the body and how well the body is utilizing oxygen as energy. The results of function tests are always compared to a “reference range” which is a range of values that would be observed in healthy people of similar age, sex, race, etc. to the patient. Research shows that surgical correction of Pectus Excavatum can improve specific heart function values. This means that:
The values may be within the reference range when they were not before surgery; or
The values are closer to the reference range than before surgery.
Recurrence Rate: When considering a corrective surgery, many patients are concerned that their deformity will reoccur. Published data evaluating the success rate of the Nuss Procedure, indicates that recurrence is reported in less than 2% of cases. A high probability of successful deformity correction and a low chance of recurrence is a significant benefit of this procedure.
Quality of Life: Aside from the potential physical benefits of the Nuss Procedure, many surgeons assert that humanistic or quality-of-life measures such as “satisfaction with appearance” and “increased confidence after surgery” should also be considered when evaluating the success of the surgery.
Why Choose Us to Treat Pectus Excavatum?
The Center of Excellence for Pectus is the premier center for the Nuss Procedure to treat Pectus Excavatum and Carinatum. With over 1000+ successful pectus excavatum surgeries completed and counting, Dr. LoSasso treats Pectus for teens, both males, and females, and is one of the only centers to also treat Pectus in adults. Schedule an online consultation with us!