Abstract
Purpose: Pectus excavatum is the most common chest wall malformation. In 2005 we introduced a Vacuum Bell for treatment of pectus excavatum. In this paper we report on our experience of the treatment to evaluate the efficacy of the Vacuum Bell treatment. Materials and Methods: Eleven patients, 9 males and 2 females, were treated with the Vacuum Bell treatment. The age ranged from 6 to 29 years. In 4 of them Nuss procedure had been performed; in one patient the metal bar was removed too early because of bar infection and in 3 patients the results were unsatisfactory. The other 7 patients had not been operated on. A Vacuum Bell is used for creating a vacuum at the anterior chest wall. The pressure is reduced up to 15% below the atmospheric pressure with a hand pump. The device is used for at least 30 minutes, twice a day and the duration is lengthened gradually. Results: The follow-up time ranged from 4 months to 2 years and 8 months. The hollow of the sternum was elevated significantly from 18mm on average (between 2 and 30mm), to 10mm (between 0 and 20mm) after 3 months and 9mm (between 0 and 20mm) at the end point of follow-up. There were no serious complications, except for mild dermatitis. Conclusion: The Vacuum Bell is an alternative method for treatment of pectus excavatum.
