NANOORI HOSPITAL
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Pectus Carinatum

Pectus Carinatum

The Thoracic Surgery Department of Nanoori Hospital is carrying out precise diagnosis and treatment of Pectus Carinatum, led by Director PARK, Hyung Joo (former professor of Thoracic Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital), a world-renowned authority on chest wall deformity treatment.

What is Pectus Carinatum?

Chest wall deformity with convex anterior chest

Contrary to Pectus Excavatum, Pectus Carinatum is a congenital malformation in which the center of the breastbone is raised convexly. An excavatum/carinatum complex in which Pectus Excavatum accompanies Pectus Carinatum may also occur, but it can be corrected through active treatment.

Causes and Symptoms

  • Why does it happen?
    Why does it happen?

    Caused by a variety of causes including congenital and genetic ones

    • 1.Most cases occur alone, but there are cases where there is a family history, so it is assumed that there is a genetic factor
    • 2.High probability of being accompanied by genetic diseases such as Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Noonan syndrome
    • 3.Abnormal growth of breastbone and surrounding cartilage
    • 4.It may occur after heart surgery or previous thoracic surgery
  • What are the symptoms?
    What are the symptoms?

    Various symptoms occur due to the influence of the protruding chest

    • 1.Chest wall loses flexibility, resulting in dyspnea and arrhythmia
    • 2.Lack of self-esteem and avoidant personality disorder due to external problems

How to diagnose?

Visual diagnosis
[Visual diagnosis]		 Image inspection
[Image inspection]
Thoracic surgeons diagnose excessively protruding breasts. After visual diagnosis, chest X-RAY and CT scans can confirm the condition in more detail.

How to treat?

  • Wear chest compression brace

    [Wear chest compression brace]

    A corrective effect can be expected if the orthosis is worn for more than 6 months on a moderately symmetrical Pectus Carinatum. However, it is difficult to apply to asymmetric or complex types.
    The orthosis can only apply external pressure, so it can relieve chest protrusion, but there is a limit to restoring the chest to a normal chest.
  • Director PARK, Hyung Joo's Sandwich correction surgery

    [Director PARK, Hyung Joo's Sandwich correction surgery]

    The Sandwich technique, independently developed by director PARK, Hyung Joo, inserts metal bars for correction into the inside and outside of the chest wall to raise the depressed breastbone and simultaneously presses the protruding bone.
    Symmetrical and asymmetric Pectus Carinatum can be corrected close to the normal chest, and it is the only surgical method that can be applied to complex deformities in which both Pectus Excavatum and Pectus Carinatum occur simultaneously.