Nuss Procedure - Pectus Excavatum

For pectus excavatum cases, we perform a surgery, which was introduced by Donald Nuss, an American paediatric surgeon, in 2000’s. When this surgery was first introduced, we were also astonished with the results, and had difficulty in accepting the applicability of such a surgery. However, after we also witnessed the fact that this surgery is performed on pectus excavatum patients across the world like a magic without any incisions on the thoracic cage, removing any tissue or organ.

X-ray - After Nuss surgery

Before and After Nuss surgery

We learned about this problem when Donald Nuss, an American paediatric surgeon published his study, which he carried out for ten years with 42 cases, as an article in 1988. And we implemented this treatment method as thoracic surgeons in Turkey on a sixteen years old patient for the first time in Turkey in 2005.

The system involves twisting the thoracic cage to fix it, and monitoring the process with a camera placed in the thoracic area. Even describing it, it may sound like a very simple surgical method. But this bar, which passes in front of the heart, may damage the heart. This bar, which also passes behind bones, sternum bone, may somehow irritate the sternum bone. However, the results are so successful that, such complications are eliminated in the hands of a skilled surgeon.

So far, we have performed about 1.500 surgeries in Turkey. Our success rates are over ninety seven percent. Satisfaction is reported in few patients.

In this patient group, we observed dissatisfaction in patients who are allergic to the bar or who developed complications for other reasons. But we yielded complete success in ninety seven percent of the patients in terms of life quality, short duration of surgery, psycho-social benefits in post-operative period.