Objective: To investigate the effect of anterior chest wall depression on the cardiac function and the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery for pectus excavatum by comparing cardiac function and morphology between pre- and post-operation.
Methods: Between August 2009 and December 2010, 102 adult patients with pectus excavatum were treated with minimally invasive surgery, including the primary operation in 95 cases and the reoperation in 7 cases. There were 84 males and 18 females, aged 18-57 years (mean, 23.4 years). The haller index (HI) was 4.59 +/- 1.51. Of 102 patients, 59 were classified as pectus excavatum type I and 43 as type II; 42 had clinical symptoms and 19 had the physical sign of heart. The preoperative chest CT examination showed cardiac compression in all patients and heart displacement in 74 patients. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 68.9% +/- 6.2%.
Results: The procedure was successful in all patients, and no death or serious complication occurred. The patients were followed up 12-28 months (mean, 21 months). The clinical symptoms and cardiac physical sign of the patients disappeared after operation. HI was 2.70 +/- 0.33 at 12 months after operation, showing significant difference when compared with preoperative HI (t = 5.83, P = 0.00). According to Nuss's evaluation method, the results were excellent in 99 patients and good in 3 patients. CT examination showed complete relief of cardiac compression in 101 patients and mild cardiac compression in 1 patient; the heart position was normal at 12 months after operation. Electrocardiogram returned to normal in 4 patients having abnormal electrocardiogram. LVEF was 70.5% + 4.8% after operation, showing no significant difference when compared with preoperative LVEF (t = 1.08, P = 0.30). CONCLUSION; The main effects of pectus excavatum in adults on heart are compression and displacement. Cardiac compression may be relieved efficiently and the patient's clinical symptoms can be abated by minimally invasive surgery.