Wang procedure: A reasonable choice for reoperation after failure of Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum

Abstract

Pectus excavatum is a common thoracic deformity, and Nuss procedure is considered as the standard operation for the treatment of this deformity. However, there are often cases of Nuss procedure failure in the clinic. Once such a situation occurs, it often needs to be operated again. Since Nuss procedure can cause adhesions behind the sternum and in the bilateral thoracic cavities, if Nuss procedure is still used in the reoperation, it is not only very difficult, but also possible to cause heart and lung injuries. Therefore, Nuss procedure is not an ideal choice for reoperation. Wang procedure is a new method to treat the deformity of depressed chest wall. Since this operation is mainly performed outside the chest wall and rarely involves the structures in thoracic cavity, it is suitable for reoperation after the failure of Nuss procedure. This article reports a 12-year-old boy who had a failed Nuss procedure. We used Wang procedure for treatment and achieved satisfactory results.