I have a case of pectus excavatum(caved in chest). Should i have surgery done or!


Question:

I have a case of pectus excavatum(caved in chest). Should i have surgery done or just try to ignore my cause??

I am 14 years old.I have a case of Pectus Excavatum. It is a birth diformity and consist of a caved in chest. Some people call it a "funnel chest". It is hard to go swimming in public and it really effects my life and definently my self-esteem. I need to know if i should get surgery done or not???


Answers:

Depending on the severity of your defect, two different types of surgery are an option. There is plastic surgery that uses an implant, and then there is the NUSS Method.

If you are in the US, there are many plastic surgeons who perform implant surgery to fix mild cases of pectus excavatum. All you need to do is type "pectus excavatum implants" into a search engine and you will get several sites that discuss the effectiveness of the implants. Your parents could call any of the plastic surgeons to get information on cost, success rates, etc.

The NUSS method is the most common operation, and is usually performed on people under the age of 18. It does require at least 2 surgeries, and the length of time in between can range as high as 2 years. It is painful, and like any other surgery, there are risks involved. My daughter had a good friend go through the NUSS surgeries and she looks terrific.

The decision to have surgery should be made by you, your parents, and your doctor. It is a big decision and you should have help making it. Good luck and I hope this helps a little.




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