Study on Sternocostal Elevation and Sternal Turnover in 1,076 Cases of Funnel Chest

Sternocostal elevation (SCE) and sternal turnover (STO) are effective methods of correction for pectus excavatum; however, few reports address a comparison of intraoperative and postoperative complications in these procedures. From 1985 to 1997 we studied the intraoperative duration, intraoperative blood loss, duration of drainage, and postoperative complications in 1,076 funnel chest patients treated at our department. Of the 1,076 cases, of which 841 were men and 235 were women with an average age of 10.6 ± 8.5 years, SCE and STO were performed on 874 and 202 patients, respectively. Compared with STO, SCE is characterized by lower blood loss (SCE 153 ± 148 ml vs STO 650 ± 365 ml), fewer days of drainage (SCE 8 ± 4 day vs STO 13 ± 10 day), and lower incidence of surgical site infection (SCE 9.4% vs STO 16%). There was no occurrence of critical complications found after either SCE or STO operations resulting in no operative or hospital deaths. All of the patients left our hospital on foot. In conclusion, both SCE and STO are effective and widely appreciable surgical procedures, and SCE is less invasive and widely applicable to treat younger patients with funnel chest, and data can be a reference of perioperative management of funnel chest