Pectus Excavatum:

1
Pectus Excavatum

• A Little Known Chronic Health Condition

2
Meet Jim

• Case Example
• 30 year old White male
• College graduate
• Manager of a company
• Married for 5 years
• Strong family and friendship ties
• Lives with a chronic health condition

3
What is Pectus Excavatum?

• Common Chest Wall Deformity
• Appearance
• Age, Gender, Race, Genetics
• Severity

Image courtesy of www.umm.edu
4
Images of the Severity of the Condition

• Mild

Image courtesy of www.kidsdoc.at/kinderchirurgie/t
richterbrust_details_09.html
5

• Moderate

Image courtesy of www.science-et-vie.net
6

• Severe

Image courtesy of www.pectus.org
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Physiological Concerns

• Volume of the chest area
• Affects the heart and lungs
• Physical experiences

8
Psychosocial Concerns

• Inability to participate in activities
• Embarrassment
• Psychological concerns

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Treatment

• Surgery
• Severity
• Age
• Insurance
• The Nuss
• Procedure.
• Minimally Invasive
• Surgery

Image courtesy of www.surgeryencyclopedia.com
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Benefits of the Nuss procedure

• Small incisions
• Short operating time
• Minimal blood loss
• Quick recovery
• Postoperative
• Precautions

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Tools for Working with Clients Living with
Chronic Health Conditions

• Family-Centered Therapy
• Cognitive Therapy
• Family Systems Perspective

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Importance of this topic

• I've come to accept it as being part of who I
  am I look at it as something that sets me apart
  from people, makes me different, not necessarily
  in a bad way.
• Jim, 2008

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Questions and Comments?
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References

• Gehlert, S. Browne, T.A. (Eds.) (2006).
  Handbook of health social work. Hoboken, NJ
  John Wiley Sons.
• Goretsky, M., Kelly, M., Croitoru, D., Nuss, D.
  (2004). Chest wall deformities pectus
  excavatum and pectus carinatum. Adolescent
  Medicine Clinics, 15. 455-471.
• Hu, T., Li, Y., Liu, W., Wu, X., Feng, J.
  (2008). Surgical treatment of pectus excavatum
  30 years 398 patients of experiences. Journal of
  Pediatric Surgery, 43. 1270-1274.
• Patterson, J. (1991). A family systems
  perspective for working with youth with
  disability. Pediatrician, 19. 129-141.
• Patterson, J. Warwick, A. (1994). The impact
  of chronic illness on families a family systems
  perspective. The Society of Behavioral Medicine,
  16(2). 131-142.
• Pilegaard, H. Licht, P. (2008). Routine use
  of minimally invasive surgery for pectus
  excavatum in adults. The Society of Thoracic
  Surgeons, 86. 952-957.
• Smith, K. (2004). Pectus Excavatum More than
  meets the eye. Orthopaedic Nursing, 23(3).
  190-193.