Pectus bar removal: surgical technique and strategy to avoid complications

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Pediatric Surgery
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum often involves a pectus bar.
• Bar removal is the final stage of this surgical procedure.
• Optimizing bar removal involves understanding maintenance duration, techniques, and complication avoidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze outcomes and adverse effects of pectus bar removal.
• To identify appropriate pectus bar maintenance durations.
• To evaluate strategies for minimizing complications during pectus bar removal.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1,821 patients who underwent pectus bar removal.
• Data collected from September 1999 to August 2015.
• Patients treated for pectus excavatum and carinatum using minimally invasive techniques.

Main Results:

• Mean pectus bar maintenance duration was 2.57 years, varying by age group.
• The most common complication was wound seroma/infection (2.36%).
• Recurrence after removal was low (0.49%), with 0.38% requiring reoperation.

Conclusions:

• Pectus bar removal is a safe and effective final step in pectus deformity repair.
• The procedure is associated with a low incidence of complications.
• This study provides valuable data on bar maintenance duration and removal outcomes.