Open surgical correction combined with an external splint for correction of a non-compliant pectus excavatum in a cat

A 4-month-old domestic shorthair female cat weighing 1.3 kg was presented for evaluation of respiratory distress. The animal showed evident dyspnoea with exercise intolerance and a marked concave deformation of the sternum. After measurements of the fronto-sagittal and vertebral indexes, the pectus was classified as moderate and surgery was elected. Surgical correction was performed using an open approach to the sternum with osteotomy of the last sternebra and costochondral junctions of the eighth and ninth ribs bilaterally. A silicone based, U-shape external splint was manufactured and used to stabilise the sternum. Immediate and 5-week postsurgical radiographs revealed a decreased concavity of the sternum and an increase thoracic height at the level of the last sternebra. Postoperative results suggest that this technique could be an effective and economical option for cats with pectus excavatum with a non-compliant sternum.