The Best of Chest Wall Treatments for Children
Some kids have a chest that is abnormally caved-in or bowed-out. The caring specialists at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital can help.
“Chest wall disorders in children can sometimes affect their health and body image as they grow up,” says Sarah Jones Sapienza, MD. If you think your child may have a chest wall disorder, the first thing to do is get an evaluation from an expert.
Chest wall disorders in all shapes and sizes
These conditions can cause a misshapen chest wall:
- Pectus excavatum (“sunken chest,” “funnel chest”) occurs when an unusual growth of cartilage in the chest wall presses the breastbone inward, giving the chest a sunken look.
- Pectus carinatum (“pigeon chest”) occurs when an unusual cartilage growth pushes the breastbone outward, making the chest jut out.
- Rib deformities can make the chest bow in or out.
“Chest wall deformities may be present at birth, but they often become more noticeable during the growth spurt at puberty,” Jones Sapienza says.
Treatment options for chest wall disorders
“Our multidisciplinary team approach allows us to provide both surgical and nonsurgical treatments for chest wall disorders,” Jones Sapienza says. These are some of the options available at the Children’s Hospital.
Minimally invasive surgery to insert a metal rod for pectus excavatum repair
Surgery to remove abnormal cartilage growth and reposition the breastbone
Nonsurgical procedure to pull the breastbone forward with a suction device
Custom-made brace to push a protruding breastbone back into its proper place