swimmermom3 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Does anyone have a child with pectus carinatum who has opted for or needed surgery? If you are willing to share your experience and thoughts, could you please pm me? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share Posted November 30, 2011 Please don't tell me the hive is stumped.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I'll give your post a :lurk5:. DS has pectus excavalum, which I understand to be the opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I'll give your post a :lurk5:.DS has pectus excavalum, which I understand to be the opposite. It's been a lot of years (20!!!) since ds had the surgery to correct, but I believe this was his. The ribs pushed the sternum (sorry spelling!) in. Quite deeply in one spot. His health did improve after surgery. I wish we had gone to a Children's hospital to have the surgery. I feel it would have been a better experience for my then 7yo. I wish doctors had prescribed more physical therapy after the surgery to build up the muscles of the chest and shoulders. My son would have kept more of the results, I believe. His chest is very sunken these days...partly because doesn't work to make it different. I wish I'd had the HIVE back then. Blessings to you as you research and make decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Son had pectus excavatum as well. Had surgery at almost 17. The surgeon didn't really offer any follow up and my son wasn't keen on working out after the surgery. He never has been the athletic sort (very tall and thin). He is now taking my advice and trying to work towards better posture and to build up his chest muscles. In fact, he is taking "Intro to Weight Training" next semester at college hoping that it will teach him how to work out that area. He's built like the new Sherlock Holmes (the modern one on BBC). Posture is a big thing - he was so used to being slumped over that it is now habit and hard to break. With excavatum, there is the possibility of decreasing lung capacity and having the ribs interfere with the heart and lungs. Would there be any health hazard with the carinatum type? Is it more for cosmetic reasons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 Son had pectus excavatum as well. Had surgery at almost 17. The surgeon didn't really offer any follow up and my son wasn't keen on working out after the surgery. He never has been the athletic sort (very tall and thin). He is now taking my advice and trying to work towards better posture and to build up his chest muscles. In fact, he is taking "Intro to Weight Training" next semester at college hoping that it will teach him how to work out that area. He's built like the new Sherlock Holmes (the modern one on BBC). Posture is a big thing - he was so used to being slumped over that it is now habit and hard to break. With excavatum, there is the possibility of decreasing lung capacity and having the ribs interfere with the heart and lungs. Would there be any health hazard with the carinatum type? Is it more for cosmetic reasons? Cynthia, I think the risks are similar. The cartilage along the ribs can fuse them together creating issues with lung capacity. Or rather the lungs and heart are normal but the breathing isn't as efficient and the child can tire more quickly during strenuous exercise. Not only is our son really bothered by the way it looks, but we are following up on it because even with systematic training, he doesn't make the usual gains in either swimming or running. Also, during the evaluation, they'll be looking at his back. He's gone from having good posture to having terrible posture in the past two years, which is about the same time frame that the chest really popped out noticeably. Of course, it could just be a 16 yo boy who spends too much time hunched over a gaming system.:tongue_smilie: I appreciate the heads up on the physical therapy and weight training. I put that on my list of questions for the surgeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Cynthia, I think the risks are similar. The cartilage along the ribs can fuse them together creating issues with lung capacity. Or rather the lungs and heart are normal but the breathing isn't as efficient and the child can tire more quickly during strenuous exercise. Not only is our son really bothered by the way it looks, but we are following up on it because even with systematic training, he doesn't make the usual gains in either swimming or running. Also, during the evaluation, they'll be looking at his back. He's gone from having good posture to having terrible posture in the past two years, which is about the same time frame that the chest really popped out noticeably. Of course, it could just be a 16 yo boy who spends too much time hunched over a gaming system.:tongue_smilie: I appreciate the heads up on the physical therapy and weight training. I put that on my list of questions for the surgeon. I, too, wrestled with the posture thing. Why couldn't my son straighten up when I asked :glare: but now I really feel that the deformity was pulling his shoulders forward and it hurt for him to stand/sit up straight. So the deformity created a habit, IMO. My son also had back pain to the point that he claimed it was his bed...we bought a new mattress but it didn't seem to help much. My son's deformity was quite pronounced and, according to the surgeon, probably would get worse because he wasn't through his first growth spurt yet. And a 2nd growth spurt would undoubtedly make it more severe. My son did not yet show signs of lung/heart involvement so we asked him whether he wanted to have the surgery or wait. He decided he wanted it - I think there was a lot of peer issues (swimming, etc.) that moved him to that decision. He did well with the surgery - I stayed at the hospital in his room 24/7 for 4 days, I think (it's a blur). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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