Lung function after the minimal invasive pectus excavatum repair (Buss procedure)

Background: The Nuss procedure was introduced at our center in 1999. The operation was mainly performed for cosmesis. Little information is available regarding the influence of this operation on lung function. Methods: The aim of this study, a prospective analysis, was to analyze the effect of the Nuss procedure on lung function variables. Between 1999 and 2007 a total of 203 patients with pectus excavatum were treated with the Nuss procedure, of whom 145 (104 male, 41 female) were located at Emma Children's Hospital. In the latter subset of consecutive patients, static lung function variables [total lung capacity (TLC), functional residual capacity (FRC), vital capacity (VC)] and dynamic lung function variables [forced expired volume in 1 s (FE