We describe the case of a 28-year old man with Marfan's syndrome and severe pectus excavatum who required an aortic root replacement for an ascending aortic aneurysm. There was a near-vertical angulation of the sternum that presented challenges with opening and exposure of the heart during aortic surgery. Furthermore, removal of the sternal retractor after aortic repair resulted in sudden loss of cardiac output. A Ravitch procedure was then performed to successfully close the chest without further cardiovascular compromise. We propose that patients with a severe pectus excavatum and mediastinal displacement seen on preoperative CT scanning should be considered for simultaneous, elective repair.
Keywords: Aortic; Aortic root; Marfan; Pectus excavatum.
© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.