Two years ago Xiaowei was less than 14 years old, but his height was already more than one meter seven, just like a standard small handsome boy look. But Xiao Wei often call in sick, cool basketball but he rarely appear on the court, all of which is indeed very confusing. It turns out that the handsome boy also has his own unspeakable secrets.
When Xiaowei just turned one year old, mom and dad found that Xiaowei’s chest was obviously sunken, there was an ugly “funnel”, they thought the little baby lack of calcium, they gave Xiaowei double the calcium, but the calcium supplement for more than half a year, no effect at all. The anxious parents were busy taking Xiaowei to the doctor, who told Xiaowei’s parents that the child was suffering from a thoracic deformity called “funnel chest” and had to undergo surgery, but the surgery was very creative and would leave obvious surgical scars on the chest after the operation, which made Xiaowei’s parents very hesitant and took Xiaowei home. For more than ten years afterwards, the “funnel” in front of Xiaowei’s chest became bigger and bigger, and the child’s health also seemed very poor, with colds and fevers being a common occurrence. They were looking forward to more advanced treatment methods.
Until two years ago, Xiao Wei’s mother finally found out on the Internet that Wuhan Union Hospital’s pediatric surgery department was the first in China to carry out minimally invasive surgery to treat “funnel chest” with good results, so the couple was very excited and immediately brought their child to Wuhan. When they saw that the funnel on Xiaowei’s chest had disappeared and there were only two small dressings in the bilateral armpits, the couple couldn’t help but cry with joy at the same time.
Not long ago, Xiaowei returned to the hospital for another surgery to successfully remove the orthopedic plate. Now Xiaowei has grown taller, and his physique is much better than before. In his robust chest, if you don’t look carefully, you won’t find the very hidden small scars. Especially Xiao Wei’s self-confidence has increased, and his academic performance has steadily improved. Looking at her son playing basketball bare-chested on the court, Xiao Wei’s mother said proudly: It was worth the wait of more than ten years!
Funnel chest is dangerous
Funnel chest, also known as sternal recess, is a funnel-shaped anterior thoracic deformity in which the sternum and connected rib cartilage are recessed inward, centered on the lower end of the sternal body and the saber process. In the past, rickets and scurvy were mistakenly considered as the cause of the disease, which has been rejected. Its etiology is not entirely clear now, and may be related to the following factors.
1, the central tendon of the diaphragm is too short, and the diaphragm attached to the lower end of the sternal body and the saber process pulls the sternum downward.
2, genetic factors: there are reports of simultaneous onset of the disease in fathers and sons or brothers
3.Sternum and rib cartilage development abnormalities
The diagnosis of funnel chest is not difficult, but it is important to recognize its harmfulness and treat it early.
1.The deformed thoracic shape can lead to serious psychological disorders in the affected children, affecting their normal participation in social activities and their normal study and work.
2, the compression of the heart, lungs and even esophagus, affecting the circulation and respiratory function, commonly manifested as the child’s poor physical and activity endurance, prone to palpitations or respiratory tract infections.
3.It is often accompanied by anterior neck flexion, mild hunchback, abdominal protrusion and scoliosis and other body shapes.
Treatment of funnel chest
Funnel chest cannot be corrected by itself, and it gradually worsens with age, so early surgery is desirable. The best age for surgery is 2-6 years old. The purpose of surgery is to correct the deformity, improve the appearance, relieve the heart and lung compression, and prevent the psychological disorders caused by the deformity. There are several surgical methods as follows.
1.Sternal reversal surgery: the postoperative appearance is satisfactory and no internal fixation is needed, but it is traumatic.
2, sternal supination: the postoperative effect is certain, but the surgery is also more traumatic, and the internal fixation may be displaced and pierce the skin.
3.Sternal suspension: simple and less traumatic surgery, but the postoperative activities of the child are inconvenient and difficult to care, and the effect is not ideal for older children with serious deformity.
4.Minimally invasive surgery: thoracoscopic-assisted sternal elevation (Nuss surgery): good postoperative thoracic shape, small surgical trauma, and suitable for children of all ages.
Advantages of minimally invasive surgery for funnel chest
Thoracoscopic-assisted sternal elevation (Nuss procedure) is performed by making two small incisions in the hidden axillary area, placing an orthopedic plate into the sternum under the surveillance of thoracoscope, and then flipping the plate to elevate the sternum to correct the funnel chest. The procedure was introduced in the United States in 1999 and has been gradually carried out in a few major cities such as Wuhan and Beijing in China in the last 2-3 years. The pediatric surgery department of Wuhan Union Hospital has successfully performed nearly 50 cases of this surgery so far with very satisfactory results, and has many advantages compared with traditional surgery.
1. The surgery is very traumatic. There is no need to cut off the ribs, no need to place chest tubes, and no need for blood transfusion.
2. Quick recovery after surgery. The child can eat normally soon after surgery, and can get out of bed 2-3 days after surgery.
3.Placement of orthopedic plate is firmly fixed, and complications such as displacement or skin piercing should not occur.
4.Satisfactory postoperative thoracic shape, small and hidden surgical scars, and obvious cosmetic effects.
5.The Department of Pediatric Surgery of Wuhan Union Medical College Hospital is the first one to apply domestic orthopedic steel plates for Nuss surgery in China, which significantly reduces the cost of surgical instruments and shortens the hospitalization time due to the rapid recovery of the child, which makes the operation economical.