Funnel Chest: Report of Case Successfully Treated by Chondro-sternal Resection

¹ Houston, Texas

Another case of successful resection of the sternum with the chondral cartilages on each side for depression of the sternum and costal cartilages has been reported. It is felt that the operation of choice in these cases would be sternal mobilization rather than resection, but in this case, due to the marked deformity of the costal arch, together with the rotation of the sternum, resection was necessary. It is true the entire literature does not contain enough case reports to actively determine which procedure will carry the highest incidence of cure. The mortality rate in resection of the sternum should be no higher than the mortality rate in sternal mobilization. This brings the number of cases that have been operated upon by a radical procedure reported in the literature to thirty-eight. In children a less radical procedure of dividing the diaphragmatic attachment to the sternum will usually stop the progress of the condition.