Background: To review the surgical experience with pectus excavatum and carinatum chest deformities at the last 5-years.

Methods: Hospital records from 223 patients who underwent repair for pectus deformities between October 1997 and May 2002 were reviewed. Repair was performed with modified Ravitch’s technique in 89 cases, implantation of grafts using costal cartilage technique in 53 cases and resorbable plaque technique in 81 cases.

Results: The mean hospital stay was 16.6 ± 3 days. There were no major complications. Early postoperative complications included seroma in 13 patients, infection on skin incision in five, and pneumothorax in 11 patients. Late postoperative complications included three well tolereted, and one moderate in tolerated recurrence.

Conclusion: Pectus excavatum and carinatum deformities can be repaired with a low rate of complications, a short hospital stay, and excellent long-term physiologic and cosmetic results. It has some advantages to use rezorbe olabilen plaque technique such as avoiding a second operation for removal of the metal support and possible severe complications due to the migration of the metal support.

Keywords : Pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum, resorbable plaque, otolog cartilage