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Beverly Hills Pectus Excavatum Breast Surgery

Written By: Stuart A. Linder, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Beverly Hills, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

By definition, Pectus excavatum is a term describing an abnormal formation of the ribcage in which the distance from the sternum or the breast bone to the backbone or the vertebral column is reduced (decreased). This gives the chest a sunken in or caved in appearance.

Women present to my office frequently desiring breast augmentation procedure with pectus excavatum. They should realize that pectus excavatum is a congenital anomaly and may be mild, moderate or severe, depending upon the degree of depression of the sternum. In cases where there are no problems with heart or lung compromise, aesthetic abnormalities can be quite severe.

Patients do well with breast augmentation using the standard approach in our practice, subpectoral and periareolar. It should be noted that when the surgeon goes under the muscle, he must be very careful not to enter into the pleural cavity along the sternal area or costochondral junction which could cause a pneumothorax, opening of the lung space to the external world.

Therefore, only Board Certified Plastic Surgeons should be performing surgeries of patients having breast augmentation with pectus excavatum. It is absolutely essential that the surgeon has precise anatomical knowledge of the entire chest wall, including deformities such as pectus excavatum.

We perform surgeries in our Beverly Hills practice on pectus excavatum patients all the time. The implants placed subpectorally will actually help to reduce the width of the pectus excavatum and make it less obvious. When pectus excavatum is severe, the patient should be evaluated by a pulmonologist and cardiologist in order to determine any cardiac or pulmonary abnormalities. These types of surgeries may require a thoracic surgical procedure in order to reposition the sternum in the midline.

Pectus Excavatum Revision

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Stuart. A. Linder, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a Beverly Hills plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, and more.

Dr. Linder is certified by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and is a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).

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