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    Pectus Excavatum: Causes, Tests and Treatment
    Pectus Excavatum: Causes, Tests and Treatment
    Pectus Excavatum: Causes, Tests and Treatment
    Ebook89 pages42 minutes

    Pectus Excavatum: Causes, Tests and Treatment

    By John Hewitt

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    About this ebook

    Pectus excavatum is a condition acquired at the time of birth. It results in a deformed chest with the sternum (breastbone) sunk into the chest.
    This comprehensive book covers all you need to know about this condition and covers causes, tests and treatment options including surgical and non-surgical treatments.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAndale LLC
    Release dateAug 30, 2011
    ISBN9781465874993
    Pectus Excavatum: Causes, Tests and Treatment
    Author

    John Hewitt

    'John Hewitt outstrips the categories we keep invoking for him, such as “doyen of Ulster poets” or “conscience of the Planter tradition”. He becomes, instead, the universal poet, servant of the medium, renewer of the forms, discoverer of the nugget of harmony in the language and in ourselves.’ Seamus Heaney 'The constant subjects of his poetry are historical isolation and private loneliness. When he uses one as a metaphor for the other, he writes with an unforgettable mixture of courage and perception.' Eavan Boland    ‘John Hewitt the poet made himself heard in a land of bellowers without raising his voice. He held out the creative hand rather than the clenched fist.’ Michael Longley   John Hewitt, father figure to a generation of poets such as Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley, is widely acknowledged as a poetic icon and creative catalyst within the canon of Irish poetry. Edited, with a new introduction, by acclaimed poets Michael Longley and Frank Ormsby, Selected Poems is testament to Hewitt’s remarkable legacy, and a celebration of a unique, compelling and still urgent voice in Irish poetry. 

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      Book preview

      Pectus Excavatum - John Hewitt

      Pectus Excavatum: Causes, Tests and Treatment

      John Hewitt MA

      James Greenspan MD (Ed.)

      Smashwords Edition

      ****

      Copyright 2011 John Hewitt, MA, James Greenspan, MD

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Contents

      One: What is Pectus Excavatum?

      Two: Why do you get Pectus Excavatum?

      Three: Common symptoms for Pectus excavatum

      Four: How can I know if I have it?

      Five: Medical and surgical treatments

      Six: Pectus excavatum recurrence

      Seven: Risks associated with surgery

      Eight: A Genetics Primer

      Glossary of Medical Terms

      Appendix A: Internet Resources

      One: What is Pectus Excavatum?

      Pectus excavatum is a condition acquired at the time of birth. It results in a deformed chest with the sternum (breastbone) sunk into the chest. Due to this condition, the chest appears bent inwards rather than outwards. Among all diseases that affect the appearance of chest wall, this one is the most common. It occurs three times more frequently among males than females.

      Out of all people who suffer from conditions which cause deformed chests, about 90 percent suffer from pectus excavatum. One in every 500 - 1000 infants is born with this condition which is easily recognizable at the time of birth. More than 90 percent of the cases of pectus excavatum are diagnosed within a year of birth. Sometimes, the chest may be very slightly deformed at the time of birth and the parents may ignore it. But as the child grows and enters their teenage years, an age when bone growth significantly speeds up, the deformity grows worse. With increasing age, the patient may also start suffering from breathing problems such as dyspnea (difficulty in breathing). It is then that the parents are forced to notice it and contact the doctor for a diagnosis.

      Typically, the disease affects four to five ribs on each side. The ribs are directed abnormally inward rather than growing in normal position. This can be slight or severe depending upon how much the breastbone is deformed and sunk into the chest. If it’s a severe case, there is a high risk that the deformed chest may also affect the lungs and the heart. If it affects the lungs, this can lead to many other problems such as dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), slower blood circulation through the body, a rapid heartbeat rate (heart palpitation) and constant fatigue. The deformity may be symmetrical or non-symmetrical. This means the hollowness in the chest may be more on one side and less on the other. Normally, the deformity is more on the right side and less on the left side of the chest.

      If a person is suffering from this condition, one of the major problems that he will face is psychological. Since it occurs right at the time of birth and grows with age, a child is psychologically affected at knowing he is not physically like other people. This can develop into depression as he enters his teenage years. Psychological disturbances have been reported in older people who suffer from this condition.

      In severe cases of pectus excavatum, patients suffer from backache. As it results in greater deformity of chest and may affect the heart and lungs, it may make performing tough exercises impossible. You may also have difficulty in breathing or a persistent chest pain. Other common problems associated with this condition include coughing, fatigue and rapid heartbeat.

      This condition can be cured through surgery. But surgery is used to treat it only in severe cases. In a surgical treatment, a bar is inserted behind the breastbone to support it and push it to its normal position. The bar is then left in its position for about two years. During this time, your doctor monitors the progress. Once the breastbone started growing normally, the bar is withdrawn and the patient is able to live a normal and healthy life. For patients with mild symptoms, physical therapy is used to help them improve their posture and increase the extent to which their chest can expand.

      Two: Why do you get Pectus Excavatum?

      Doctors do not know for sure what causes pectus excavatum. It is said to be acquired genetically. This means that one of your parents had the disease and because of them, it was passed on to you when you were born. However, it isn’t certain that pectus excavatum is genetic. It is highly likely though because children who acquire pectus excavatum often have this condition existing already in their family. In fact, in nearly 37 percent of cases, someone in the family of the patient already has this condition.

      The disease gets more severe over time but doctors don’t know what exactly causes the diseases to get more severe. Those patients who

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