Ravitch Procedure

Ravitch surgery is an open surgery method, which has been implemented for carinatum and acuatum cases for years. This surgery method was first implemented by Ravitch, whom it is named after, in 1947.

Over the course of years, different modifications of the surgery has been developed with new methods. However, the method in general is called Ravitch, whom it is named after. It is still being implemented across the world. Because Nuss surgery, as Americans call it, is a surgical method, which is difficult to learn. Infrastructure is required for performing this surgery. For this reason, Ravitch surgery is performed in medical centres, which still implement conventional methods. Currently, we are still performing Ravitch surgery. Because you cannot implement Nuss surgery or Abramson surgery on some patient groups. In order to fix this deformity completely, you have to perform open surgery on this patient group.

Before

After

We perform Ravitch surgery for patients, who have the deformity called pectus arcuatum. Of course, this technique can be applied in the treatment of both pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum deformities.

How and on which age groups is the surgery performed? We perform the operation after seventeen years of age.Because the thoracic cage must be grown completely. If you perform it when the patient is five-six years old, the growth of thoracic cage may stop and surgery may harm the patient’s health. For this reason, after the growth of thoracic cage is complete, you can perform the surgery anytime after seventeen years of age.

After seventeen years old, the earlier the surgery is performed, the better thoracic cage formation becomes. You can perform this operation at mid-forties or advanced ages.

The key aspect of performing the surgery is to fix and reconstruct the deformed bones. For this reason, we apply incision from top to bottom.

For female patients, we apply incision under the breasts, folding point of the breast. And we release the thoracic cage completely.

We fix the sternus by means of two or three incisions, placing titanium plate and screw on the area. On the side sections, we remove the cartillages attached to the bone, and keep only the casing. And we close the thoracic cage by bringing the muscle layer on its.

In this Ravitch method, some scholars prevent the bone from settling by placing a bar under the bone.

In the past, we also didn’t put a bar, but now we attach the Nuss bar under the bone and make the bone completely straight.

The duration of Ravitch surgery is longer compared to Nuss surgery . It continues two hours or more, and it is a more bloody surgery. However, the results are quite successful.

If possible, we recommend Nuss surgery to the patient. If Nuss surgery is not suitable for the patient, we recommend Ravitch surgery.