Commentary: A New Way to Gauge Pectus Severity

Pectus excavatum is a disorder which most thoracic surgeons will encounter at some point in their practices. The degree of cardiac compression in patients with pectus excavatum is an important measurement in assessing the need for operative repair. Typically the assessment is done using computed tomography of the chest. The widest transverse measurement of the chest is compared to the anterior-posterior distance to calculate the Haller index1. When determining whether surgery is needed or not, it is helpful to determine how significantly the heart is being compressed.
Source: Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: THORACIC – Commentary Source Type: research