Casting the implant for reconstruction of pectus excavatum

Fourteen patients with pectus excavatum underwent a total of 17 operations for the insertion of subcutaneous implants aimed at camouflaging their defects. A silicone prosthesis in one patient early in the series caused severe capsular formation. Although a block of Proplast may occasionally be used with success, the rational solution to the problem is to produce a custom made Silastic implant that adheres optimally to the defect in each individual case. This retrospective study shows that a subcutaneous implant clearly improves the appearance of the chest wall in most of the patients.