I am 27 years old and this makes my case of Pectus Excavatum a little differnt than most because people usually get this repaired in early teen years. I suffer from a disorder called Pectus Excavatum. This disorder causes my chest (sternum) to grow inwards instead of across. This disorder is more prevalent in males. It occurs in 1 – 1000 births. The severity of the deformity differs per individual. Mine is classified as “severe” in the America. The cause is unknown but usually if you have it someone in your family might have had a mild case (ex. fa or grand fa). The insurance companies measures the severity of the deformity by the Haller Index (distance between breast bone and sternum divided distance from each axilary wall. To qualify as “medical necessity” you must have a Haller Index over 3.25. Mine was 4.41. I had difficulty breathing and my heart/chest would hurt when I would work out and ran. I have always had this dent or hole in my chest. I never knew that it was a medical problem until I fainted in the gym back in Feb 09. I was given referral to see a Thoracic Surgeon and Rileys Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. I had 3 test done. Puliminary Functions (breathing), Echo (heart), and a CT scan. Test Results were: Mitral Valve Prolapse causing heart murmur. PFT tests showed I inhale at 62% and exhale at 68% of a normal person and the CT scan showed my Haller Index to be 4.41. Surgeon consult suggested surgery with Nuss procedure. This procedure would be …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

The chest wall remains relatively flexible in young people until they reach early adulthood, so wearing a brace over the carinatum deformity can push the chest wall down into a normal shape.
Video Rating: 5 / 5