Pectus Excavatum (Sunken Chest)

[Unregistered]

Are there any moms or dcproviders that have ever had a child with this condition?
Idk how to add a picture, if you put the condition name into google pictures of it will pop up.
My toddler has this condition, and I am becoming more and more concerned. Just curious if anyone else has had a child with it and has experienced the differences of it as a child grows older.

[Wednesday!]

Wow, that looks scary. The heart is displaced and compressed. What does your pediatrician say? I'm sorry, I don't have any experience with this. But it does look like it can be surgically corrected by removing the deformed rib and replacing it with a prosthetic one. I guess it depends on the severity of it as to whether it's a necessary procedure.

[Cradle2crayons]

Are there any moms or dcproviders that have ever had a child with this condition?
Idk how to add a picture, if you put the condition name into google pictures of it will pop up.
My toddler has this condition, and I am becoming more and more concerned. Just curious if anyone else has had a child with it and has experienced the differences of it as a child grows older.

I've taken care of many a child with this after corrective surgery. I hope you guys have a specialist?

[OP..]

We've recently moved and gotten a new pediatrician who advised to look into specialist and testing. We never knew this condition could get that bad, until we learned the actual name and started researching it. Crazy thing is that the surgery is not always covered under insurance and seeing online the average cost for the particular surgery is up to $40,000.

[Cradle2crayons]

We've recently moved and gotten a new pediatrician who advised to look into specialist and testing. We never knew this condition could get that bad, until we learned the actual name and started researching it. Crazy thing is that the surgery is not always covered under insurance and seeing online the average cost for the particular surgery is up to $40,000.

It depends on if the surgery is for purely cosmetic reasons or medically necessary.

[Unregistered]

I read that about it being cosmetic for some. But when a person basically has a hole in their chest, that has even the slightest bit of effect on a person and their day to day life, even if it's as small as posture, then it should be covered. Scoliosis is covered under insurance and it doesn't even have that much effect on some people, it may on some. But it's still covered. Even braces are covered under insurance and crooked teeth has NO effect on a persons health.

[daycarediva]

I read that about it being cosmetic for some. But when a person basically has a hole in their chest, that has even the slightest bit of effect on a person and their day to day life, even if it's as small as posture, then it should be covered. Scoliosis is covered under insurance and it doesn't even have that much effect on some people, it may on some. But it's still covered. Even braces are covered under insurance and crooked teeth has NO effect on a persons health.

Braces aren't covered under my insurance, that's for sure!

I would get a specialist and find one that is willing to fight the insurance company, if necessary.

Is there a protective brace that the child can wear in the meantime to help protect the chest?

[Dia]

My best friend had this condition. When we were smaller it wasn't that big of a deal but it got worse as we got older and her body started to mature. It started compressing her lung as it was partially to one side. Not to scare you but the corrective procedure was pretty traumatic, even to me and it was my friend that had to deal with the pain. I know they had to make several trips to Shriners hospital in St. Louis (abt 600 miles away from us) I went to one of her check up appointments but not her surgery. I know it was free for them minus costs for the trips.....I am assuming insurance did not cover it or they would have stayed closer to home. The procedure (non sugar coated) essentially was that they went in and broke/cut through her ribs and sternum, re shaped everything and placed her in a body wrap. She later went back to get breast reconstruction surgery to make everything match, because she was not developing on one side and they left a "port" to add in liquid as she developed on the other side.

All in all, it is probably more extensive if your child is female, but it is scary either way. Her condition worsened as she grew, almost as if her chest was growing inward.

Hope this helps, sorry I couldn't put it gentler but that is my experience and I figured you would want the truth.