Nuss repair of pectus excavatum after surgery for congenital heart disease: Experience from a single institution

Objective: Pectus excavatum developing after surgery for congenital heart disease has its own clinical characteristics. The present study aimed to present our technique and outcomes for the Nuss procedure in the repair of these cases. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all patients who had not been diagnosed as pectus excavatum preoperatively but subsequently had developed pectus excavatum after surgery for congenital heart disease from February 2005 to November 2012. The Nuss procedure was applied using a series of perioperative management techniques. The data relating to the surgical technique, complications, and outcomes were analyzed. The clinical evaluation was performed using the Nuss criteria. Results: A total of 30 cases (14 boys and 16 girls) were included. The mean operative time was 73.5 minutes (range, 58-82). The mean length of hospital stay was 6.0 days. Complications occurred in 5 patients (16.7%), including asymptomatic pneumothorax, hematoma in the wound, pericardial penetration, and bar displacement. The mean follow-up period was 32 months (range, 9-60). Initially, 29 patients (96.7%) had excellent results, and 1 patient had a good result. The mean point of bar removal was 35.8 months (range, 30-39) after implantation. The postoperative results after bar removal in 17 patients were also recorded, including excellent results in 14 (82.4%), good results in 2 (11.7%), and a fair result in 1 patient. Conclusions: The Nuss procedure has been shown to be a safe and effective approach for the repair of pectus excavatum after surgery for congenital heart disease, although dissection of substernal adhesions can increase the risk of heart injury.