r/PectusExcavatum

Hi everyone,

Hope these pictures are good enough for you to see my case!

I’ve absolutely hated my chest my entire life. I have been working out consistently for about 7-8 months trying to improve my PE.

I’ve never considered surgery until pretty recently, because when I was a teen, the doctor told me that I dont need surgery, and I didnt question it. I think about it every now and then, and I have some regret for not doing the surgery as a teen. I’m considering it now, but I’m worried about the recovery as I’m turning 26 in a couple months.

Does my case look like something I can “fix” by just working out?

Thanks everyone!

F21, Haller index of 6.32 prior to surgery. Got operated on by Dr. J, I’m now 6 days post op and I’m super happy with the results :)) included some before and after photos as well as my CT scan prior to surgery (looking like a cashew lmao). I’m happy to answer questions just please don’t be creepy in my dms I had to delete my last post in this sub because of that!

Hi, im 17F and im a week and a half post op from the nuss bar surgery w/ cryo with a haller index of 4.9. I’m having some pretty bad swelling from the top incision site and I asked my surgeon and he said that it is partially from post op swelling and the bar because I an quite thin with a BMI of 17. I was wondering if any others had a similar experience or swelling post nuss or is this a operational error? Thanks!

Posted here a few weeks ago to ask if I had PE after multiple of my partners in the past have asked why my chest has a ridge/divot. Was told by a lot of commenters that I actually seem to have PA.

I’ve had a lot of health issues lately pop up in January likely related to my iron deficiency, so I’ve had a million & one dr appointments. I have another two next month as a follow-up with my PCP/lab draws then my hematologist. I don’t want to randomly throw in the mix like ‘btw, I know I’m here for x thing, but I also just noticed this’. I don’t think the health issues are related to it? since most resolved after iron infusions except my fatigue/exercise intolerance.

Does it seem worth it to mention it?

Including a picture of me as a child at the end just bc it’s kind of hard to see the size of the divot with the breast tissue. And then an upwards angle to better see the ridge of the divot if that makes sense.

I'm 27 for reference but I've been hearing that vacuum bell can work for adults as well. What do people here recommend?

I’m 23M and have had pectus excavatum since puberty. Recently I’ve been considering trying to go down the nuss route but not sure whether I should and if simply working out will make it look fairly normal. What do we think, would my HI be high enough to consider this?

Hi there, new here

Recently I have been thinking about getting an evaluation for PE. I think I have it, but I have never seen a doctor fot it, or have one mention something to me about it. It never bothered me aesthetically, however I have been experiencing skeletal problems since I was a child. I also have hypermobility and scoliosis (you can see my uneven shoulders in the second pic). When I try to go even a small distance uphil, I get very winded and even experience chest pain and feeling like my heart will burst out of my chest. I also can feel food and water going down when I swallow and have some problems with acid reflux. Recently during a heart ultrasound they told me my heart appears to be larger than it should be, but no further action was taken. Do you think the symptoms could be caused by PE? Is it severe enough to consult a doctor about it? (I icluded the last pic with my ribs flared to show how uneven they are)

If you came to this subreddit looking for a solution to rib flare, this may help you. This is my summarized story of trying to find a solution for rib flare (and Pectus) so far. For those who don't want to read it all, there's a TL;DR at the bottom. I implore you to read this before pursuing any options regarding rib flare if you're here for that.

BEGINNING

I first noticed my rib flare when I was around 14 years old. I wondered why I had it and other people didn't. When I asked a nurse practitioner about it, I was told it was part of my anatomy and completely natural.

As time went on, I became increasingly distressed by both how it looked and how it felt, and started searching for possible solutions. Finding information about remedies was extremely difficult as I'm sure many of you have found. It still is.

Despite mainly trying to research solutions for rib flare, I found this subreddit, and I learned that I might also have pectus excavatum. After reading about procedures such as the Ravitch repair and seeing discussions about the bars potentially fixing the ribs, I started to pursue medical consultations in hopes of finding a solution for both my rib flare and newly discovered pectus.

FIRST SPECIALIST CONSULTATION

When I was 17, I saw a pediatric thoracic surgeon at Columbia in NYC. A CT scan was ordered, and my Haller Index measured 2.2, which I was told was not severe enough to get surgery.

When I asked about further treatment options, I was told by the surgeon there was essentially **no** solution for rib flare. For the pectus excavatum, however, the surgeon recommended a Klobe vacuum bell. The explanation was that improving the pectus would make the rib flare appear less noticeable. I was measured and sent home with the paperwork to order one.

RIB BRACE EXPERIENCE

Because my rib flare was what I was mainly focused on, I continued research on here and eventually learned about the rib braces. Many people on here recommend them as a solution, but there were hardly any posts about personal experience with them.

I ended up purchasing a brace from LA Brace, which was commonly recommended on here and appeared to be one of the highest quality options.

I want to make it clear that rib bracing is generally recommended for younger patients, usually around ages 13–16. I started using it at 17.

I wore the brace exactly as I was told. 23 hours a day for 6 months. I was careful not to tighten it too much and follow the instructions as best as I could.
Sadly, my experience was horrible.

The brace was painful. Despite using lotion daily *and* always wearing body-hugging nylon t-shirt it eventually rubbed my skin raw. Over time, the areas of skin that recieved pressure became darker. Eventually the pain became so bad that I needed to add pads just to provide some cushion to the brace just to make it bearable which I'll include in a photo below. I also developed severe acne, blackheads, and extremely painful boils beneath the skin. Two of these boils eventually burst and drained blood and pus. I'll also be including photos of the effects of the brace.

Even now, six months after I stopped using it, I am still dealing with persistent acne and blackheads, major skin discoloration, and permanent scarring on my torso and back. Most importantly, after the INITAL six months of wear, which was the recommended time of treatment, I saw absolutely #NO improvement or change whatsoever in my rib flare. My ribs protruded exactly as much as they had before treatment. I was told prior to use that even if improvement occurred, I would need to continue wearing the brace at night for an another year to maintain the results.

For me, the outcome of using the brace was extreme skin damage with absolutely no visible correction of the rib flare.

I've been told by people on here different people have different experiences with it, but with the lack of readable personal experiences on here, I personally would heavily dissuade anybody from trying it unless you're within the ideal age range. Even a year after it is too late.

VACUUM BELL AND CONTINUED RESEARCH

Extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with my experience using the brace, I purchased a vacuum bell based on what the first thorassic surgeon mentioned and continued searching for alternatives.

Around this time, I made a post on here explaining my frustrations, and someone mentioned that there were developing surgeries for rib flare that they were keeping their eyes on, which gave me some hope and motivated me to look for those.

RECENT CONSULTATIONS

Recently, I went back to Columbia and met with another thoracic surgeon to discuss my options again. Regarding rib flare, he agreed it was difficult to solve but explained two potential surgeries that *might* solve the issue. Mainly, he said it was challenging and that he would discuss my case with his colleagues to see what they thought should be done. He also advised me to stop using the vacuum bell, explaining that it was unlikely to help my pectus and was mainly causing skin irritation, including a dark circle on my chest. I didn't ask further questions to that, regrettably.

The same week, I consulted with a plastic surgeon who described a newer potential approach focused specifically on correcting my rib flare. The surgery is a variant of an already existing procedure that focuses on altering the waist for body shape, so techniques would be modified to target the front ribs.
So far it sounds promising, but the surgeon said this would be their first time performing this specific variation of the procedure.

The total cost is approximately $18,000, including anesthesia and facility fees. I started saving up for it for the past few months. I'm not sure if it's allowed, but I'll be linking a GoFundMe if anyone wants to contribute.

https://gofund.me/f0072c5c5

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you're searching for answers about rib flare, I hope my experience helps, especially with how little information you find online about rib flare, especially with how it varies here. I've found people on here claiming that the braces work, or that they don't work, or that there is no solution to rib flare, or that you can only reduce it with exercise.

TL;DR

For my rib flare, the rib brace did not work. It only led to pain, dark marks, persistent acne, and scars, all of which still remain 6 months later, and I personally would highly dissuade anybody considering using it or getting it outside of the recommended age. Multiple doctors have explained that rib flare remains difficult to treat, or that there's no solution. Newer surgical options seem to be emerging, but they are still pretty rare. I can't speak for exercise reducing rib flare, so it might not work, but IMO it seems either that (if it works) or surgery is the only solution, unless you're the prime age for the brace.

Everyone's situation is different, but I wanted to share my experience so others have a refrence point when making decisions about treatment.

Photos of the brace, it's effects, and the vacuum bell are pictured.

A week ago I went to my first doctor's visit. Because I was feeling symptoms like, having a hard time taking deep breaths and I was getting tired easily. The doctor was a thorax surgeon and he told me that my case was mild and that I didn't need surgery. He also said I was too young for surgery so I would have to wait until I was at least 14/15 years old. But before going to surgery I want to ask how efficient a vacuum bell is and if it can fix pectus completely. My biggest insecurity is probably my flared ribs and I have heard that nuss can make it worse. How true is that?(Sorry for bad english)

Female in her 20’s, haller index of 4.4 and correction index 37%. My lungs and heart are fine, except my lung capacity is the same as someone who has asthma or maybe slightly better. Sometimes my ribs click all of the sudden and it hurts until I inhale deeply and something just pops hahaha. Probably I’m gonna get 2 bars and for the pain management they are gonna give me epidural.

Thoughts, tips?

so i think my pectus is prominent right now because of how skinny i am. i used the vacuum bell everyday for hours on end for like 8 months when i was 14-15 and still use it now and then, hence the subtle hyperpigmentation on my chest.

this is my biggest insecurity, id appreciate tips on what to do. i do get seen occasionally by a team of specialists at the hospital, but they just check on how my experience is with the vacuum bell. id say it did improve my chest a little, but now it’s stagnant. it doesn’t stay up anymore when i take the device off.

is my next path just bulking up and hitting the gym?

I’ve been using a vacuum device for a year; I’m 18 years old.

I have rib flare, more on the left side. I’m afraid of surgery. What are your recommendations? (17 hours after the last vacuum session) The depth is currently about 1 cm. I weigh 60 kg.