The use of soft silicone solid implant molded intraoperatively for pectus excavatum surgical repair

To describe a new surgical technique to treat pectus excavatum utilizing low hardness solid silicone block that can be carved during the intraoperative period promoting a better aesthetic result.

Between May 1994 and February 2013, 34 male patients presenting pectus excavatum were submitted to surgical repair with the use of low hardness solid silicone block, 10 to 30 Shore A. A block-shaped parallelepiped was used with height and base size coinciding with those of the bone defect. The block was carved intraoperatively according to the shape of the dissected space. The patients were followed for a minimum of 120 days postoperatively. The results and the complications were recorded.

From the 34 patients operated on, 28 were primary surgeries and 6 were secondary treatment, using other surgical techniques, bone or implant procedures. Postoperative complications included two case of hematomas and eight of seromas. It was necessary to remove the implant in one patient due to pain, and review surgery was performed in another to check prothesis dimensions. Two patients were submitted to fat grafting to improve the chest wall contour. The result was considered satisfactory in 33 patients.

The procedure proved to be fast and effective. The results of carved silicone block were more effective for allowing a more refined contour as compared to custom made implants.