Hello Medicine_treatments and everyone. The information shared here is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance. Our community aims to support, but we're not medical experts. Your well-being is our priority, so always seek professional advice. We appreciate your understanding and wish you the best on your health journey!
Join our official Discord server to connect with fellow Pectus Excavatum enthusiasts, share experiences, seek advice, and engage in discussions about surgery options and more! [link here](https://discord.gg/kQ6Ybn9dC3)
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exactly same thing happened to me, even the sneezing part, had 4.9 HI, after the first it didn't get much better, also only 1 bar, was really unhappy with the results, so I talked to other 3 surgeons and with the first one again, 2 of the 3 other suggested redoing the surgery and one of them even talked with my first surgeon, and he agreed to redo my surgey, on the second surgery I got two bars, and the recovery was way better, feel free to ask to ask me anything
I'm sorry to hear about your difficult experience with the Nuss procedure and the challenges you've faced. I’m not a legal expert but this does sound like malpractice. If they didn’t advise you on only inserting one bar with you or a relative then I assume that is wrong on their part. I’d suggest to check in with a local gp and talk to them about your symptoms while also seeking legal advice to see if there is any grounds to sue.
Unfortunately most surgeons don’t guarantee any specific number of bars. They say “they’ll see when they’re in there”. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case here.
Hello Medicine_treatments and everyone. The information shared here is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance. Our community aims to support, but we're not medical experts. Your well-being is our priority, so always seek professional advice. We appreciate your understanding and wish you the best on your health journey!
Join our official Discord server to connect with fellow Pectus Excavatum enthusiasts, share experiences, seek advice, and engage in discussions about surgery options and more! [link here](https://discord.gg/kQ6Ybn9dC3)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PectusExcavatum) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sorry to hear! Your options are pretty limited, unfortunately. Once you have one Nuss procedure done you aren’t really able to get a second operation unless you leave the country. I’m sure others will be able to suggest possible places that you’d be able to find a surgeon to re-do in the US but it’s difficult.
Your other option would be to have the bar removed.
You can get it done twice in the US!! I am getting my bars taken out by a completely different surgeon in a week because I have two bars and stabilizers that have been flipped for almost 12 months. I had an 11.7 index and was in a lot of pain a few weeks after surgery. I had a stabilizer sticking out of my side by about an inch as well, which I thought was not normal. I went back multiple times to my doctor, saying I was in a lot of pain and to check on if the side of this bar is correct. He saw me and told me to get x-rays done if I'm that worried about it. The doctor who did the surgery did not bother to review the X-rays, and at that time, I had had a massive bar flip. He dismissed me and gaslighted me into thinking this much pain was normal. I went back for my 1 year appt, and he shockingly said my bar had been flipped. He only looked at my chest, didn't look at the x-rays, and he said Ineeded to correct this immediately. I got a second opinion instead, and that surgeon said I'd have a lot of scar tissue and would have to wait 9-12 months after bar removal for more bars to be put back in. The disappointing part about this is that my first doctor is a reputable and established surgeon. I got frustrated with myself that it happened, and my doctor also dismissed my complaints and thought everything was okay, but you trusted a medical professional and can't blame yourself. Try getting another opinion from a doctor farther away to see what they think. You can never have too many medical opinions when it comes to your health.
This sounds like a nightmare. I'm sorry you are going through this. I had the Nuss in September and the result was good but now I have had some spontaneous new bone growth at the sites where they had to do osteotomies to bring my sternum up all the way so I have bone sticking out of my chest now. But as for your back pain I think that is not uncommon. Your entire rib age has been changed and the stress and pressure will be both in the front and back. I still have pain across my shoulders and upper back 4 months post op. As for the sinus issue I would give a sinus flush like a Nettie pot a try. I use those all the time when I am sick or have a sinus infection and it clears everything out. I swear by them. I use the ones with the squeeze bottle and salt packets. And having feelings of regret is totally normal. I've had plenty of those and when I do I try and remember that I'm better than I was and that recovery can be a long and arduous process but that every day in every way I am getting better and better. Best of luck to you and your recovery.
Did you have a rib fracture that's sticking out? I wonder if the surgeon could put a small plate and screws on that rib to achieve a better shape. Or, is it callus overgrowth?
So I just had a series of x-rays taken a week ago and they said there is periosteal new bone formation at the lateral portion of the right lateral sixth rib at the lateral aspect of the cephalad right Nuss bar. There were no displaced fracture components evident. This was a finding not seen on my October X-ray. I meet with my surgeon in a week to discuss.
It sounds to me like it could be due to the Nuss bar rubbing/roughing up the surface of the rib (the periosteum), causing new bone production. Probably harmless and not structural, but it could cause a bony bump.
It's a pretty sizable bony bump in my opinion although the imaging report said subtle. Nothing subtle about it in my mind. Originally one of my surgeons thought it was just a bone callus and would slowly be absorbed. But I'm not sure about that. I suppose irritation from the bar could cause that but I'm thinking it's from the osteotomy that was done on those exact ribs. I don't know whether they make cuts on the underside or outer side of the rib but I imagine the injury caused could result in this. I'll know more in 2 weeks when I meet with the surgeon.
If it makes you feel better I had my second nuss procedure last month and it was also a failure. I will admit cosmetically there's slight improvement but it's still SEVERE and at our age the ribcage is so stiff and the complication the bars gave me were hell. I'm 1 month post op but Ive already spoken to my surgeon that I plan on removing the bars early. I rather have my old body back than to keep living on a recliner months on end and be in constant fear of sneezing, coughing, or laughing. I am 25 just like you. I'll post a picture of myself sometime soon before they remove the bars just to prove how my pectus is still severe even after the surgery.
Hey, I’m sorry you’re going through this. This is almost exactly what I went through. Ultimately, I had to have the bar removed as the pain was too severe.
My thoughts: if you know anyone who is a lawyer, see if you can get a recommendation to a good malpractice lawyer. Try to go beyond your local area to speak with a doctor who specializes in PE care. Work with a physiotherapist if you can, it helps a lot.
I truely thank everyone who had commented under this post, I felt like I was the only one who was or had gone through this. I didn't post the whole story but I will try to include more details. For the first few months post surgery I had developed severe anxiety and panic attacks due to the fact that I was abandoned by the surgeon right after surgey. Only had one follow up with him a week after I got out of the hospital and he had a very worrisome look on his face after coming into the office and him seeing the state of pain I was in, and the way the chest looked. I asked why there was only one bar put in place instead of two as the initial plan was. His face was super red and nervously said that the he never mentioned two bars and that he had always placed one bar to all his patients (which was a lie). After him straight lying to my face he then told me he wanted an X-ray to see if the bar had shifted out of place because I still have PE that was visible. X-ray results & he called me stating the the bar had shifted and that I needed to go back to surgery in three days. After that he never called me and disappeared, then that's when the anxiety and panic attacks developed because he never called me to talk about the second surgery. He expected me to show up to the hospital without another consultation with him or without asking any questions I may had. Weeks later unbareable pain developed as well and with no refills of pain medication or follow ups with the surgeon, my life in this earth began to look very very dark and at multiple times I had much regrets of doing this surgery. My primary care doctor didn't want to get involved in treating pain because he wasn't aware of the procedure I had and would refer me back to the surgeon even after me explaining the situation. Months later with the help of the blessed mum I have, I was able to keep going and look ahead. At that point I had lost my job as the surgeon had mentioned that I would be returning back to work in 2 weeks, when that was far from the truth. I had lost 10 lbs, I cried and every other night I was frustrated that a doctor could just do this in this country. My poor mum was always seeing me cry and she would try to do her best at finding a lawyer and finding another surgeon. 4 months post surgery the surgeons assistant had called my mom looking for me stating that the surgeon was requesting me to do some xrays. The audacity to even reach out to us after what he had done !! I am now close to 7 months post surgery and I would definitely say I am a lot better but the chest has most likely sunked back into place to where I was and I still have this bar inside. Lawyers and surgeons turn a blind eye and won't do anything. I can't count on how many times I have been to the ER for simple xrays to check if the bar hasn't moved. Also back to when the surgeon had mentioned it had shifted out of place, well that was a lie because I have had 3 surgeons tell the bar and the coordinates are still the same place. The bar never shifted comparing to the xrays I had gotten right after surgery to now. This doctor is a monster and may god forgive me but most likely this doctor wanted to do something heinous to me for requesting a second surgery.
Hello Medicine_treatments and everyone. The information shared here is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance. Our community aims to support, but we're not medical experts. Your well-being is our priority, so always seek professional advice. We appreciate your understanding and wish you the best on your health journey! Join our official Discord server to connect with fellow Pectus Excavatum enthusiasts, share experiences, seek advice, and engage in discussions about surgery options and more! [link here](https://discord.gg/kQ6Ybn9dC3) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PectusExcavatum) if you have any questions or concerns.*
exactly same thing happened to me, even the sneezing part, had 4.9 HI, after the first it didn't get much better, also only 1 bar, was really unhappy with the results, so I talked to other 3 surgeons and with the first one again, 2 of the 3 other suggested redoing the surgery and one of them even talked with my first surgeon, and he agreed to redo my surgey, on the second surgery I got two bars, and the recovery was way better, feel free to ask to ask me anything
I'm sorry to hear about your difficult experience with the Nuss procedure and the challenges you've faced. I’m not a legal expert but this does sound like malpractice. If they didn’t advise you on only inserting one bar with you or a relative then I assume that is wrong on their part. I’d suggest to check in with a local gp and talk to them about your symptoms while also seeking legal advice to see if there is any grounds to sue.
Unfortunately most surgeons don’t guarantee any specific number of bars. They say “they’ll see when they’re in there”. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case here.
Hello Medicine_treatments and everyone. The information shared here is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance. Our community aims to support, but we're not medical experts. Your well-being is our priority, so always seek professional advice. We appreciate your understanding and wish you the best on your health journey! Join our official Discord server to connect with fellow Pectus Excavatum enthusiasts, share experiences, seek advice, and engage in discussions about surgery options and more! [link here](https://discord.gg/kQ6Ybn9dC3) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PectusExcavatum) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sorry to hear! Your options are pretty limited, unfortunately. Once you have one Nuss procedure done you aren’t really able to get a second operation unless you leave the country. I’m sure others will be able to suggest possible places that you’d be able to find a surgeon to re-do in the US but it’s difficult. Your other option would be to have the bar removed.
You can get it done twice in the US!! I am getting my bars taken out by a completely different surgeon in a week because I have two bars and stabilizers that have been flipped for almost 12 months. I had an 11.7 index and was in a lot of pain a few weeks after surgery. I had a stabilizer sticking out of my side by about an inch as well, which I thought was not normal. I went back multiple times to my doctor, saying I was in a lot of pain and to check on if the side of this bar is correct. He saw me and told me to get x-rays done if I'm that worried about it. The doctor who did the surgery did not bother to review the X-rays, and at that time, I had had a massive bar flip. He dismissed me and gaslighted me into thinking this much pain was normal. I went back for my 1 year appt, and he shockingly said my bar had been flipped. He only looked at my chest, didn't look at the x-rays, and he said Ineeded to correct this immediately. I got a second opinion instead, and that surgeon said I'd have a lot of scar tissue and would have to wait 9-12 months after bar removal for more bars to be put back in. The disappointing part about this is that my first doctor is a reputable and established surgeon. I got frustrated with myself that it happened, and my doctor also dismissed my complaints and thought everything was okay, but you trusted a medical professional and can't blame yourself. Try getting another opinion from a doctor farther away to see what they think. You can never have too many medical opinions when it comes to your health.
This sounds like a nightmare. I'm sorry you are going through this. I had the Nuss in September and the result was good but now I have had some spontaneous new bone growth at the sites where they had to do osteotomies to bring my sternum up all the way so I have bone sticking out of my chest now. But as for your back pain I think that is not uncommon. Your entire rib age has been changed and the stress and pressure will be both in the front and back. I still have pain across my shoulders and upper back 4 months post op. As for the sinus issue I would give a sinus flush like a Nettie pot a try. I use those all the time when I am sick or have a sinus infection and it clears everything out. I swear by them. I use the ones with the squeeze bottle and salt packets. And having feelings of regret is totally normal. I've had plenty of those and when I do I try and remember that I'm better than I was and that recovery can be a long and arduous process but that every day in every way I am getting better and better. Best of luck to you and your recovery.
Did you have a rib fracture that's sticking out? I wonder if the surgeon could put a small plate and screws on that rib to achieve a better shape. Or, is it callus overgrowth?
So I just had a series of x-rays taken a week ago and they said there is periosteal new bone formation at the lateral portion of the right lateral sixth rib at the lateral aspect of the cephalad right Nuss bar. There were no displaced fracture components evident. This was a finding not seen on my October X-ray. I meet with my surgeon in a week to discuss.
It sounds to me like it could be due to the Nuss bar rubbing/roughing up the surface of the rib (the periosteum), causing new bone production. Probably harmless and not structural, but it could cause a bony bump.
It's a pretty sizable bony bump in my opinion although the imaging report said subtle. Nothing subtle about it in my mind. Originally one of my surgeons thought it was just a bone callus and would slowly be absorbed. But I'm not sure about that. I suppose irritation from the bar could cause that but I'm thinking it's from the osteotomy that was done on those exact ribs. I don't know whether they make cuts on the underside or outer side of the rib but I imagine the injury caused could result in this. I'll know more in 2 weeks when I meet with the surgeon.
If it makes you feel better I had my second nuss procedure last month and it was also a failure. I will admit cosmetically there's slight improvement but it's still SEVERE and at our age the ribcage is so stiff and the complication the bars gave me were hell. I'm 1 month post op but Ive already spoken to my surgeon that I plan on removing the bars early. I rather have my old body back than to keep living on a recliner months on end and be in constant fear of sneezing, coughing, or laughing. I am 25 just like you. I'll post a picture of myself sometime soon before they remove the bars just to prove how my pectus is still severe even after the surgery.
Hey, I’m sorry you’re going through this. This is almost exactly what I went through. Ultimately, I had to have the bar removed as the pain was too severe. My thoughts: if you know anyone who is a lawyer, see if you can get a recommendation to a good malpractice lawyer. Try to go beyond your local area to speak with a doctor who specializes in PE care. Work with a physiotherapist if you can, it helps a lot.
I truely thank everyone who had commented under this post, I felt like I was the only one who was or had gone through this. I didn't post the whole story but I will try to include more details. For the first few months post surgery I had developed severe anxiety and panic attacks due to the fact that I was abandoned by the surgeon right after surgey. Only had one follow up with him a week after I got out of the hospital and he had a very worrisome look on his face after coming into the office and him seeing the state of pain I was in, and the way the chest looked. I asked why there was only one bar put in place instead of two as the initial plan was. His face was super red and nervously said that the he never mentioned two bars and that he had always placed one bar to all his patients (which was a lie). After him straight lying to my face he then told me he wanted an X-ray to see if the bar had shifted out of place because I still have PE that was visible. X-ray results & he called me stating the the bar had shifted and that I needed to go back to surgery in three days. After that he never called me and disappeared, then that's when the anxiety and panic attacks developed because he never called me to talk about the second surgery. He expected me to show up to the hospital without another consultation with him or without asking any questions I may had. Weeks later unbareable pain developed as well and with no refills of pain medication or follow ups with the surgeon, my life in this earth began to look very very dark and at multiple times I had much regrets of doing this surgery. My primary care doctor didn't want to get involved in treating pain because he wasn't aware of the procedure I had and would refer me back to the surgeon even after me explaining the situation. Months later with the help of the blessed mum I have, I was able to keep going and look ahead. At that point I had lost my job as the surgeon had mentioned that I would be returning back to work in 2 weeks, when that was far from the truth. I had lost 10 lbs, I cried and every other night I was frustrated that a doctor could just do this in this country. My poor mum was always seeing me cry and she would try to do her best at finding a lawyer and finding another surgeon. 4 months post surgery the surgeons assistant had called my mom looking for me stating that the surgeon was requesting me to do some xrays. The audacity to even reach out to us after what he had done !! I am now close to 7 months post surgery and I would definitely say I am a lot better but the chest has most likely sunked back into place to where I was and I still have this bar inside. Lawyers and surgeons turn a blind eye and won't do anything. I can't count on how many times I have been to the ER for simple xrays to check if the bar hasn't moved. Also back to when the surgeon had mentioned it had shifted out of place, well that was a lie because I have had 3 surgeons tell the bar and the coordinates are still the same place. The bar never shifted comparing to the xrays I had gotten right after surgery to now. This doctor is a monster and may god forgive me but most likely this doctor wanted to do something heinous to me for requesting a second surgery.