Quality of life and postsurgical satisfaction among pediatric patients operated on for Pectus excavatum using nuss procedure

Abstract

Pectus excatavum is the most common congenital deformity of the anterior wall of the chest. This condition is approached surgically for cosmetic and/or functional purposes. The Nuss procedure is a minimally-invasive procedure with excellent cosmetic outcomes and is less traumatic than other techniques. This study was conducted to determine pediatric patients and their parents' postoperative satisfaction and changes in quality of life after the Nuss technique. 

Patients and Method: A descriptive and single cohort study was performed subjecting patients and their parents to evaluate their quality of life and postoperative satisfaction using the Nuss and Krasopoulos questionnaires. The data was analyzed based on sample of n, median, interquartile ranges and t-student test, with p <0.05, according to paired-sample Wilcoxon test. 

Results: 31 patients were operated on for Pectus excatavum; most of the patients required operation for aesthetics and functional reasons. All the answers to questions in both questionnaires, Nuss and Krasopoulos, regarding differences between pre surgery and post-surgery were statistically significant, with p < 0.05 using t-student values. 

Conclusion: The correction of Pectus excatavum using the Nuss procedure has shown a positive effect physically and biopsy-chosocially on patients to correct the deformity, resulting in improved patients' self-esteem and perception of their health.