Compressive external bracing in pectus carinatum : Results of the first 100 patients

Abstract

Objective: Pectus carinatum is the second most common chest wall deformity causing psychological problems. There has been a growing interest in the conservative treatment of the disease in recent years. Here, we present results of the first 100 patients who were treated with compressive external bracing therapy. Patients and Methods: A total of one hundred patients who were treated with compressive external bracing between 2017-2023 were reviewed from database. Parameters recorded include demographics, type of the deformity, duration of the treatment time, complications, and patient satisfaction. Results: Among 100 patients 88 were male (88%) and 12 were female (12%) and the mean age was 13.3 years (3-19). 76 patients (76%) had a symmetric pectus carinatum and 24 patients (24%) had asymmetric. 23 (23%) patients had scoliosis, 9 (9%) had kyphosis, 1 (1%) had Poland Syndrome and 1 (1%) patient had Marfan Syndrome as accompanying anomalies. Quality of Life Questionnaire revealed 94.8 % satisfaction in patients who completed the treatment. Conclusion: Compressive external bracing is associated with satisfactory results in the treatment of pectus carinatum. This nonsurgical intervention enables us to treat more patients in younger ages with lesser comorbidity than surgical intervention.