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Original Articles: General Thoracic

Lorenz Bar Repair of Pectus Excavatum in the Adult Population: Should it be Done?

^a Division of Pediatric Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
^b Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
^c Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

Accepted for publication April 14, 2008.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Colombani, Division of Pediatric Surgery, 600 N Wolfe St, Harvey 320, Baltimore, MD 21287-4618 (Email: pc{at}jhmi.edu).

Presented at the Forty-fourth Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Jan 28–30, 2008.

Background: Although extensive literature exists on the Lorenz bar repair of pectus excavatum (PE) in pediatric patients, few data examine this repair in adults or compare long-term outcomes in adults with the pediatric population. We identified the preoperative characteristics, postoperative complications, and outcomes of adult patients undergoing Lorenz bar repair of PE who had bar removal and compared these outcomes with a pediatric population undergoing the same procedure.

Methods: A retrospective review (1997 to 2006) of patients undergoing primary repair of PE with a Lorenz bar identified 107 individuals aged older than 18 and 137 patients aged 6 to 14, of whom 52 and 80 had their bar(s) removed, respectively. These latter patients were the focus of analysis. Data collected included demographics, preoperative symptoms, operative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes.

Results: The median (interquartile range, IQR) age and pectus index of adult patients (81% men) at the time of repair was 23 (18 to 30) years and 3.8 (3.5 to 4.3), respectively. In 2 adults (3.9%), PE recurred after bar removal, and 6 (11.6%) required surgical revision for bar displacement or upper sternal depression. These rates of complications were similar to those found in children undergoing Lorenz bar repair of PE at our institution.

Conclusions: Lorenz bar placement to correct PE in adults can be performed safely and effectively, with rates of bar displacement, sternal depression, recurrence, and reoperation that are not statistically different than those found in a younger pediatric population.