Pectus excavatum and carinatum: new concepts in the correction of congenital chest wall deformities in the pediatric age group.

A wide range of congenital chest wall deformities have been described over the years. The spectrum of severity may range from life threatening deformities such as cordis ectopia to those which pose functional limitations as growth and maturity approach adulthood. Until recently, pectus excavatum (PE) and carinatum(PC) malformations have generally been considered as primarily cosmetic abnormalities. "Open" surgical procedures to correct PE and PC involved extensive resection of cartilage and bone to remove the bony deformity often with lasting growth restriction of the chest wall. Minimally invasive surgery has recently been reported as an effective technique in correcting PE without removing healthy chest wall structures. Nonoperative bracing has been effectively applied to PC eliminating traditional surgical methods. This report presents the experience at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center (CCMC) in the treatment of these two common deformities using new, less invasive methods with excellent long-term results.