Patient Testimonial and Experience: Pectus Innovations
With Dr. Dr. Garcia & Dr. Rebecca Garcia · hosted by Dr. Todd Ponsky · StayCurrentMD
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Pectus Excavatum 58 items
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Educational content from recorded physician discussions — not medical advice. Talk to your (or your child's) care team about your situation.
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What the experts said
Rebecca Garcia underwent pectus repair surgery on August 1st of the previous year at age 21
Rebecca had previously undergone the Ravitch procedure in Atlanta, Georgia at age 3 or 4 years old
Despite prior Ravitch procedure, Rebecca continued to experience chest pains and trouble breathing
Meditation, specifically Jack Kornfield videos recommended by Dr. Garcia, helped with mental recovery from pectus surgery
Post-operative pectus patients experience significant physical restrictions including inability to turn, twist, or lift more than 5 pounds
The mental and emotional burden of post-operative dependency is as significant as the physical recovery challenges
Robaxin (methocarbamol) helps relieve chest tightness and pressure sensations in post-operative pectus patients
Dr. Garcia required Rebecca to wait 3 months before returning to weight training after pectus repair
After 3 months and gradual return to exercise, Rebecca achieved strength levels exceeding her pre-operative baseline
Having a dedicated pain team with established protocols reduces delays in pain medication administration
Pain team protocols eliminate the need to wait for individual physician orders for pain medication
Patients are systematically screened for resistant staph (MRSA/URSA) prior to pectus surgery
Patients who screen positive for resistant staph receive nasal and underarm swabs and are prepared according to protocol
Bactroban is given intranasally twice per day for 7 days prior to surgery for patients with resistant staph colonization
Vacuum belts for pectus patients are obtained directly from suppliers in Germany at a cost of approximately $400-500
For routine procedures like umbilical hernia repair, one surgeon places no activity restrictions, relying on children's self-limitation based on pain
For pectus patients, full activity is permitted after 3 months (12 weeks) post-operatively
Adolescent pectus patients do not always adhere to the 3-month activity restriction, with some observed doing prohibited activities
After 3 months, pectus patients are recommended to perform stretching and core strengthening exercises using instructional YouTube videos
A good percentage of lower anterior rib flaring after Nuss procedure resolves spontaneously
For older patients with rib flaring, ribs below the repair site can be broken and pushed down, a technique observed at Mayo Clinic
Rib osteotomy for flaring is less effective in pediatric patients due to their greater flexibility
Rib flaring tends to improve over time in many pediatric pectus patients
Sleeping position after pectus repair is patient-guided; if side-sleeping is comfortable, it is permitted
Patients naturally move during sleep regardless of prescribed sleeping positions
A planned study will examine post-operative cardiac findings in pectus patients, led by cardiologist Michael Taylor
Cardiac effects of pectus excavatum are clinically significant, not merely cosmetic
MRI is preferred over CT scan for pectus evaluation based on discussion during this session