Surgical repair of pectus excavatum relieves right heart chamber compression and improves cardiac output in adult patients—an intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic study

Background

Cardiac compression in pectus excavatum (PE) deformity and effect of PE surgery on cardiac function in adults have been debated. We examined the effect of PE correction on right heart size and cardiac output.

Methods

A retrospective evaluation was performed of 168 adult patients who underwent a modified Nuss PE repair with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography from 2011 to 2014. Seventeen patients with prior PE repair undergoing bar removal acted as controls.

Results

Mean age was 33.0 years (range, 18 to 71 years). There was an increase in right atrium (15.1%), tricuspid annulus (10.9%), and right ventricular outflow tract (6.1%) size after surgery (all P < .0001). Right ventricular cardiac output measured in a subset of 42 patients improved by 38%. No change in chamber size or cardiac output occurred before and after bar removal surgery in the control group.

Conclusions

Surgical correction of PE deformity caused a significant improvement in right heart chamber size and cardiac output.