Surgical treatment for pectus excavatum.

The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in pectus excavatum patients undergoing a Ravitch operation with those undergoing a Nuss procedure. Retrospective study was conducted on one hundred and twenty three patients who underwent Ravitch operation (n=16) and Nuss procedure (n=107) between 1995 and 2002. Mean age of the patients was 7.9+/-6.2 yr. In the Ravitch group, operation time was 196.9+/-61.0 min, and required 10.2+/-2.6 chondral bone resections. Average hospital stay time was 15.9 days. In the Nuss group, operation time was 67.2+/-33.1 min, and bar removal was required two years after the bar insertion. The length of hospital stay was averagely 8.0 days, and postoperative reoperations were performed in five patients due to bar displacements, while early bar removal was required in one patient. The patient interviews for operation results were conducted and revealed that 92.3% of the patients in the Ravitch group showed good to excellent, while 93.3% of Nuss bar removed patients replied good to excellent. Though Nuss procedure has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. So, the method of the operation should be selected according to the characteristics of the patient.