Chest Wall Surgery

• Chest wall surgery:

  • when the lungs are not directly the problem
  • abnormalities of chest wall will affect mechanics of breathing
• Pectus excavatum:

  • instead of sternum sitting in alignment with the ribs and rest of thoracic cage, it points inwards
  • this negatively affects pump handle mechanism of the ribs
  • if its significant enough, the sternum can compress the lungs, preventing it from inflating, causing increase risk of respiratory infection and have areas of atelectasis
  • can be surgically straightened via anterior thoracotomy

  
• Pectus carinatum:

  • sternum sticks out
  • negatively effects mechanics of breathing
  • fixed via a sternotomy surgery
  • physiotherapy is required after to re-educate breathing pattern and strengthen breathing muscles