Patient: A 12-year-old child’s X-ray showed a slight depression in the middle of the chest, and the child himself had no discomfort. I didn’t notice it before, but recently the symptoms became obvious. 1) I went to the chest hospital, but the specialist recommended not to operate and to see how it develops in the future. 2) I went to Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, but the doctor recommended to do it as soon as possible to avoid delaying the child’s condition. So now I am at a loss as a parent, what should I do? Doctor: Whether a child with a funnel chest needs surgery or not should be decided based on the results of the examination. We recommend the following tests: chest CT, electrocardiogram, and pulmonary function. The CT chest test can calculate the funnel chest index. If the index is greater than 3.2, surgery is indicated. If the index is less than 3.2, but accompanied by abnormalities in the ECG and pulmonary function tests, then surgery may also be needed. If the index is less than 3.2 but is accompanied by abnormal ECG and pulmonary function tests, then surgery may also be required.