Abstract
ObjectiveConservative treatment with a vacuum bell (VB) for pectus excavatum (PE) has now been gradually popularized as an alternative to surgery. We describe our initial experience with a novel three dimensional (3D) printed VB device.MethodsProspectively collected data of all patients who started using a 3D printed VB in 2018 at our institution were analyzed. Linear and logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with effectiveness of device usage.ResultsIn total, forty-two patients with a median age of 3.6 years were treated with the device. The median follow-up duration was 11.1 months and the mean initial Depth Ratio (DR) was 0.129. There were no permanent sequelae from side effects. Thirty patients with at least one follow-up body scan data showed varying improvement (z = − 4.569, p = 0.0000). Linear regression suggested that longer usage improved outcomes (R2 = 0.235, p = 0.014). By logistic regression there was a trend of younger ages and less initial DR for better improvement though neither was statistically significant (p = 0.086, 0.078, respectively).ConclusionOur initial experience has shown the 3D printed VB may be as effective as other conventional VBs and could be used as an alternative to surgical treatment for selected patients with PE. More experience and studies with this type of VB are needed to demonstrate its superiority with regard to the 3D printing design and optimal timing and indication for use.
Highlights
The vacuum bell (VB) has established its role in the treatment of pectus excavatum (PE) in the last 20 years [1,2,3,4,5,6] as an alternative to surgery it has been extensively reported by Haecker, et al [1,2,3]
There were no permanent sequelae from side effects
Our study has shown the customized Three dimensional (3D) printed VB therapy offers nonoperative treatment of PE at least as effectively as conventional VB though it remained unclear if it results in better outcome at the expense of 3D printing customization
Summary
The vacuum bell (VB) has established its role in the treatment of pectus excavatum (PE) in the last 20 years [1,2,3,4,5,6] as an alternative to surgery it has been extensively reported by Haecker, et al [1,2,3]. Its usefulness has been confirmed by other authors [4]. All their VBs are premade with fixed sizes and shape. We tried to incorporate the unique configuration of the chest wall
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