[Surgical treatment of funnel chest]

Fourty one patients (33 males and 8 females) with pectus excavatum were operated by Ravitch method modified by Politowski or Drews (36 cases and 5, respectively) from 1980 to 1989. The age of patients ranged from 5 to 25 years (mean 11 years), they were operated because of cosmetic reasons exclusively. Twenty nine of them reappeared to be examined after follow up of 15 months to 10 years (mean 3.5 years). Subjective opinion of the patient, clinical examination and radiological appearance were taken into consideration. There were 72.5% of excellent and good results. No recurrence of the deformity was observed, the most suitable age for the surgery is from 8 to 10 years.