Chest defects and their treatment

Abstract

The experience in treatment of 69 patients with funnel and 5 with pigeon thorax is presented. Patients over 14 years prevailed. At thoracoplasty radical subcartilagenous resection of the deformed costal cartilages was compulsory. In tunnel thorax sternocostal complex was fixed by tantalum brackets using original suturing device, Paltia plate and transfer of xiphoid process on the posterior sternum surface. In pigeon thorax Ravitch-1 operation was performed. In 76%) of patients right hemothorax that might be associated with patients age and use of suturing device was noted. Authors did not consider the opening of the right pleural sheet to be serious complication believing that it could be an appropriate means for surgical zone drainage. Use of such thoracoplasty techniques enabled to achieve good immediate and long term (up to 10 years) results in 98.6% of patients.