The Pectus Excavatum Surgical Procedure

About 1 year post op (7-4-99). Metal strut to be removed in about a week.

Pre Operation

Danny has had PE since birth, and the doctor we had then told us not to worry about it.  He said as long as it wasn't affecting his heart or lungs to leave it alone; that if it bothered him cosmetically when he got older he could lift weights to build up the muscles behind it to make it look better. The orthopedist we went to a few months ago told us that weights would not do any good. I knew Danny's condition had gotten worse over the years, but I never did anything about it because I relied on what the doctor had told me.  I hadn't realized just how bad it had gotten until we went for a routine checkup and I saw Danny without his shirt. Danny is 10 years old so I don't see him without his clothes too often and  he ALWAYS wore a shirt when swimming etc.  Our pediatrician said we should just get it checked out to be sure. Danny did get a little short of breath when running, but not too bad.  We were sent us to a great Pediatric Orthopedist, who sent us to a Thoracic Surgeon, Dr. Jeff Spillane in Frederick, Maryland.

Post Operation

(Week 2)

Dr. Spillane was wonderful from the beginning.  Through this whole thing he has treated Danny with more respect than most people treat the adults they deal with. He explained EVERYTHING to him ahead of time & answered every question we ever had.  He does the type of surgery where they cut the cartilage  between the ribs & sternum & pull the sternum forward & put in a little metal strut (like a popsicle-stick), which stays in for a few months.  Danny can't feel it at all. As you can see in the pictures his chest looks great, & the incision is a thin red pencil line. These pictures are at 2 weeks post-op. I'll add new ones every couple of weeks to show the progress. Danny had his surgery on a Tuesday morning, was home on Friday & by Monday, there was no keeping him down. They put an epidural catheter in, after putting him to sleep and it was left in for the first couple of days.

This was used to give him pain medication, it was hooked up to a pump with a button so he could get the medication when he needed it. I highly recommend you asking your doctor for one, it works well.  They sent him home with pain killers that he could take every 3 to 4 hours, for a few weeks.  He hasn't taken it since the 7th day after the surgery, except for at night, just so he could sleep a little better.  An Advil once or twice a day was enough, & now he doesn't even take the pills at night.  He gets a little sore when he over does it running around all day, but the Advil takes care of it. Danny's been running around like all the other kids, it makes me nuts!  I get so nervous that something will happen & he just keeps  saying "Mom, RELAX !"

Dr. Spillane says Danny can swim already; in fact he encourages it to build up his muscles in his chest; holding his breath will make him expand his lungs. The only thing he can't do is play contact sports for about four months; Danny's a little bummed about that but, he feels it was well worth it.

Post Operation

(Week 3)

Our insurance company originally refused to pay for Danny's operation; they claimed it was cosmetic!

We were SO upset! So was Dr. Spillane.  He called them, wrote letters and sent them pictures with a radiology report until he finally got them to change their minds. We owe him so much.  In the meantime I had contacted a couple of agencies that said they could help me get the decision overturned. If you run into a problem, call the Health Advocacy Dept. at the Attorney Generals Office or Your State Insurance Administration & your Senator & Delegates Office. These people all said they could help, so if your doctor has deemed it necessary to have surgery to repair your PE, contact them & send them any test results (like CAT Scans).  Our doctor had the radiologist put what's called an index on the anteroposterior & lateral ratio of the deformity, to show how severe the case is.  And have your doctor write a letter to send along too, & a picture of the person with PE also is a good idea.  I hope the pictures are clear enough for you to see, the difference in before & after, & also how good the incision looks.

For pictures of a different type of PE surgery offered; and the brace you have to wear please visit: www.iwc.com/gallery/pectus/ for more information.

Danny now has a new sense of confidence and I even catch him running around without his shirt outside!

We've been really busy this summer, going on vacation & to the beach & pool, things we never thought we'd be doing this summer!Danny has been fine from the very beginning, I even forgot that I was suppose to bring him back for a checkup before school starts!   Not only has there been a tremendous improvement physically but what this surgery has done for Danny emotionally is unbelievable! The last day of school at an awards ceremony he stood up in front of all the kids in his class and their parents where he lifted his shirt to show everyone!  This is the child who wouldn't go shirtless in his own house! Danny goes to the town pool without a shirt & plays all over the neighborhood... bare chested!!  I can't tell you how great it feels to see him be so confident.

I truly hope that sharing our story has helped you in some way, it's what we've set out to do.  There are a couple of options for PE repair and this is the method that we thought would be best our son.  If I can help you answer any questions or just lend an ear, please don't hesitate to E-mail me (or Danny). I'll add one more update when Danny gets his strut removed which we don't have a time frame on as of yet.

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Take Care, & Good Luck

 Allison & Danny can be reached at AlliCatt2@AOL.com