Learning About Nuss Bar Removal in Children

Your child had surgery to fix a chest wall that sank inward (pectus excavatum). This repair is called the Nuss procedure. During that surgery, the surgeon placed a curved metal bar under your child's breastbone. The bar pushed the breastbone forward and held your child's chest in a better shape.

Nuss bar removal is a short surgery to take the bar out. It's the last step of your child's chest repair. Knowing what happens during and after this surgery can help you and your child feel ready.

The Nuss bar works like a cast on a broken bone. A cast holds a bone still while it heals. In the same way, the bar holds the chest in place while it reshapes. The bones and the softer tissue between them (cartilage) settle into the new position.

After 2 to 3 years, the chest can hold its new shape on its own. The bar has done its job by then, so the surgeon takes it out. Your child's surgeon will decide the best time to remove it.

Your child gets medicine to sleep through the surgery (general anesthesia). Your child will not feel pain during the surgery. The surgeon reopens the same small cuts (incisions) on the sides of the chest from the first surgery.

New bone or scar tissue can grow around the bar. The surgeon clears this away, then loosens the bar and slides it out. The surgery often takes about 30 minutes.

Most children go home the same day or the next day. The doctor will tell you when your child is ready to leave the hospital. Your child's chest may feel sore where the bar was. The doctor will tell you which pain medicine to give and when to give it.

Your child can eat and drink as usual after they are fully awake. Ask the doctor when your child can go back to school, gym class, and sports. The answer may be different for each child.

The doctor will give you instructions for how to care for the incisions. Make sure to follow these instructions carefully.

Problems after Nuss bar removal aren't common. Bleeding and infection are the most common problems. Air or blood can collect around a lung after surgery. Some problems are found in the hospital during or right after surgery. Others may not appear until your child is home. You will get instructions about how to care for your child at home.

Serious problems are very rare. The doctor will talk with you about your child's risks before surgery. This is a good time to ask any questions you have.