WHAT IS PECTUS EXCAVATUM??
Medical Definition: a congenital chest wall deformity that is caused by growth abnormality of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the breastbone (sternum).
Non Medical Definition: is a condition in which the person's breastbone is sunken into the chest.
Another name for this would be "Funnel Chest" and is more common in boys than in girls.
HOW COMMON IS IT?
About 1 to 8 people per 1,000 have it.
While the sunken breastbone is often noticeable shortly after birth, the severity of pectus excavatum typically worsens during the adolescent growth spurt.
This is a graph showing the age composition for the condition. As you can see most of the cases range in the 13-18 age group.
Severe cases of pectus excavatum can eventually interfere with the function of the heart and lungs.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
For many, the biggest symptom is the deformities of the chest. Some other symptoms include the following:
*Shortness of breath with exercise.
*Less stamina compared to peers.
*Fatigue.
*Chest pain.
*Irregular heartbeat.
*Heart palpitations.
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Of course, they could also have some psychological symptoms as well such as:
*Significant embarrassment from the appearance of your chest.
*Self-esteem issues.
*Clinical depression.
WHAT CAUSES PECTUS EXCAVATUM?
Researches haven't found a specific genetic link, yet. They do suspect there is one though. About 40% to 53% of people with pectus excavatum have a biological family member with the same condition.
Pectus Excavatum is associated with the following:
*Impaired exercise tolerance.
*Mitral valve prolapse (leaky heart valve).
*Compression of your heart.
HOW DO YOU FIX THIS?
There are actually TWO way's to fix this.
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The Nuss Procedure
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The Ravitch Procedure
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The Nuss Procedure:
This procedure is minimally invasive. Your surgeon would do the following:
*Insert a camera into your chest to guide the procedure.
*Make two small incisions on either side of your chest.
*Insert a custom-curved steel bar(s) under your sternum and position the bar(s) to elevate your sternum.
*Secure the bar to your chest wall on each side to correct the depression.
The bar stays in place for several years. A surgeon removes it in an outpatient (same-day) procedure.
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The Ravitch Procedure:
This is considered the traditional or opened procedure Your surgeon will do the following:
*Make an incision on the front of your chest.
*Remove the overgrown connective tissue that's pushing your sternum backward.
*Pull your sternum forward, away from your heart and lungs, into your chest wall.
*Use a small plate and tiny screws or a small metal bar to stabilize your sternum in its new position.
A surgeon will remove the bar in six to 12 months during a short outpatient procedure. This bar is smaller than the bar they use in the Nuss procedure. You don't need additional surgery because surgeons don't remove the plates.
COMPLICATIONS OF PROCEDURE:
*Pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
*Bleeding.
*Pleural effusion (fluid around your lung).
*Infection.
*The chest bar moving out of place.
*Pectus excavatum recurrence (happening again) after bar removal.
*Injury to surrounding structures.
*Chronic pain.
HOW LONG DOES RECOVERY TAKE?
4-6 weeks.
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IS RECOVERY PAINFUL?
Short answer, yes.
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If you have gotten this far and have a few more minute's I can now tell you MY experience with this surgery.
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I ended up getting this procedure done when i was 13 or 14 years old. Just going into High School. Mine was severe enough to get The Ravitch Procedure done. How we knew I needed to get the procedure done was one day at Basketball practice I started having a hard time breathing and started hypervenalating from feeling like i was dying. Went to the doctors who found out that it has started pushing up against my heart and lungs and causing major complications to my everyday life. The surgery went great but the recovery SUCKED! I can only describe it as the most painful thing i have ever experienced. My doctor told me they had to break my sternum and ribs to put in the metal bar. I also had to go through physical therapy to get back to walking. The WORST part was when i ended up getting hiccups and when they had change my bedding. The nurses had to roll me onto one side and then onto the other to remove the sheets. I had to keep the metal bar in for a whole year.
My lasting complications to the surgery is that my right part of my chest from the scar to the top side of my right shoulder blade is numb. Seem's like my procedure also failed because i still have a bit of an incaved chest cavity but nothing major.
FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH PECTUS EXCAVATUM
Jeff Goldblum 
Bo Burnam 
Joaquin Phoenix 
Neil Patrick Harris 
Patrick Swayze 
Brendan Fraser 
Hayden Panettiere 
Tori Spelling 
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex 
🌸 ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 🌸
Slavshit
Sandshit
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My ex had it i always asked him if i could eat cereal out of it. Probably why hes an ex 🤔
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i wouldve use it like a popcorn bowl
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Funny for you, but obviously wasn't funny for him. Good thing for both of you that it ended.
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A friend of mine suggested eating cereal out of it myself, thought it was pretty funny
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I got this shit
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I worked with a kid that had this and when he was laying
down he would 
use it as a bowl 😂
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I have this condition, albeit a very mild case. Ever since, I haven't really thought of it much until its brought up. I always felt fragile or weak with it, especially when my mom talked abt it with other strangers. But, seeing the famous people section really made me think its not all bad. Thank you so much for the effortpost !!!! Much love !!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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I actually JUST added all that too. It's kinda cool knowing Celebs that have it too and being confidant about it. Make's you feel a bit better about it and not as self conscious.
You are very very welcome!! 💕
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I have a friend with this. We grew up together. Idk why but no one gave a shit. Maybe we were more interested in teasing the guy with boobs bigger than some women 😂
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a condition common amongst wpd users
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As far as medical conditions go, 8 per 1000 people is very common. That's almost 1 in 100.
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I would never wish this condition on anyone. I'm in nursing school and we had to watch a documentary on a child named Lewis Blackman who had it. He was 15 when he died after having the operation to correct it. The operation isn't what killed him, though. He had a poor reaction to a drug called Ketorolac. It was considered a cosmetic procedure and would've went fine if he were properly assessed and cared for by staff post-operatively, but he wasn't. His parents said they felt a level of guilt for allowing him to have the surgery in the first place, but they wanted to give him a shot at having a "normal life." I can never see photos of this condition without thinking of him. :( I'm very sorry that you've been experiencing lasting complications, hopefully medicine will advance enough to where the suffering involved with this condition can be a thing of the past.
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Oh wow, im so sorry. That is very tragic.
I am hoping to maybe regain feeling in the area again. Sometimes the area around the scar will get unbearably itchy but it's like one of those deep tissue itches that wont go away. I was told that, that was the nerves trying to repair themselves?
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It could be, sometimes itching is indicative of healing and other times it's a direct result of injury to the affected nerves. From what you're describing it sounds like they are healing, though. :) I had a similar feeling after a laceration on my foot a long while ago and I've since regained sensation in that area.
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Oh yeah? How long did it take if you don't mind me asking? My surgery was about 17ish years ago
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I got my injury in 2014 and regained sensation probably around the year 7 mark. Don't let that be discouraging to you, though, because my injury was nowhere near as severe as yours. I could definitely see how yours might take longer. I had a very short but deep cut on the sole of my foot from grazing the lid to a metal can that had fallen on the floor. The nerves also "feel different" and if I press down on where the injury was (towards the middle of the sole) I can feel the sensation up towards my toes. Neurons can be weird and unpredictable, haha.
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I got the opposite of this (pectus carinatum) I guess it's more rare.
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so do i. ive got a pretty mild case but damn does it take a toll on self confidence
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I also have this
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i have this as well. The bone sticks out so far and it's only on one side for me.
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Love the post, great read
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You spelled Cactus
wrong....
Look at me!!!
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I'm pretty sure Eric Harris had this condition
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Nice post.
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My brother has it. The surgery sucks and his doesn't cause symptoms so he just doesn't mess with it.
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Both videos made me cringe and click out of them. 10/10 for an educational gore site post
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THANK YOU!! <3
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i have this too, not as strong as the guy in the photo but it still sucks. Dont know if i should do the OP. i mean my grandfather is 89 and his father died at the age of 94. So i guess complications with it dont run in my family. Thanks for spreading awareness.
little fun fact: a childhood friend had the same and he used it as a bowl to eat cereal
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I always joked around saying that i was able to do that too lol I actually ended up dating someone that had it as well. Not sure if he ever got it fixed.
If it isnt bothering your everyday life id say it's fine.
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new learn everyday , thanks
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I have this too just not a bad case of it. Used to bother me a lot as a kid because it makes my body feel awkward.
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zoz
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zle
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zozzle
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Rip to all the gym bros that got it btw gyno is worse
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Hwy, I have that! Not bad, but still got it.
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If I remember correctly, Eric Harris had this condition. Regardless, great post!
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Holy shit, that's an obscure fact about him.
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we need to make slurs for people with this disorder. I can't think of any good ones
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i have this pal dont make slurs for us... dont anger the skibidi rizz gods among us... im 12 you dont know what im capable of doing pal..
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lmao uhhh honestly, neither can i. Nothing that would sound cool at least
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I have pectus carinatum its the opposite where your rib cage is pushed outwards my right rib extends further than the left, it doesnt bother me
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Oh wow, I didn't know that existed. I'm glad it doesn't bother you <3
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I thought this was marfan syndrome?
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It is associated with that Syndrome.
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It seems like a symptom/characteristic seen in Marfan Syndrome as well.
Bradford Cox from the music group Atlas Sound has that condition.
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Hell of a good spot to store a pile of popcorn or Skittles while you're watching your fav show on the TV.
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I have done that before lol Sucks when you have to get up tho
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Jesus christ OP, sorry you had to deal with that. But a book full of medical conditions with non-medical definitions would be pretty nice.
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Glad you got the balls to show your chest
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That's actually not me lol im not comfortable showing off mine.
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Oh wow I have this too but its nothing bad i guess
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I have this, although luckily its mild and I don't think it affects me. It did fuck me up for a long time in terms of self esteem though, seeing a couple famous people with it did help knowing i wasn't a freak when i first found out, and i figured the proceedure was always painful but never heard from anyone ever going through it
Would love to see more posts about the the human body/ medical conditions in general here, always interesting to learn more about ya know?
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My son has this, his isn't as pronounced as some the pictures though.
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I knew Hayden Panettiere have it.
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I've got the opposite. My sternum is protruded a bit. Just something I was born with.
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Kinda known fact but Eric Harris (one of the Columbine shooters) had pectus excavatum, he was bullied for it but got surgery twice for it
But on an important note that's one hell of a surgery you're cool as hell
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OH YEAH!! I actually forgot he had it
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It's not very obvious on some of them. How do you know the limit between normality and this condition?
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WWE's Kofi Kingston has this too I'm pretty sure
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I've got the opposite. My sternum is protruded a bit.
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It is spread that Osama Bin Laden had this disease, dont ask source since its just something i heard somewhere
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I have it, and I was wondering would it affecting the bench press?
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Hmmm i don't think so. But you should definitely ask your doctor about that one if it's a concern of yours. Better safe then sorry
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I mean its not really hurting at all it's just that I've been stuck on 80kg for ages and I dunno if it's just me not working hard enough or my chest
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I have a very minor form. I have a coworker who got the surgery, and said the pain was intense, and full recovery took quite a while.
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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It looks like utter shit tbh
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well, are medical conditions always supposed to look pretty and pleasing?
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Looks is a corollary of health so no but i wanted to make this remark tbh
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Im pretty self conscience about the scar honestly. It's not normally visible in a bikini but it's one of those I know it's there thing
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