OBJECTIVES: To study if minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (PE) in adult patients would improve cardiopulmonary function at rest and during exercise as we have found previously in young and adolescent patients with PE.

METHODS: Nineteen adult patients (>21 year of age) were studied at rest and during bicycle exercise before surgery and 1 year postoperatively. Lung spirometry was performed at rest. Cardiac output, heart rate and aerobic exercise capacity were measured using a photo-acoustic gas-rebreathing technique during rest and exercise. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation.

RESULTS: Fifteen patients completed the 1-year follow-up. No significant differences were found in neither cardiac output (14.0 ± 0.9 l min at baseline vs 14.8 ± 1.1 l min after surgery; P = 0.2029), nor maximum oxygen uptake (30.4 ± 1.9 and 33.3 ± 1.6 ml/kg/min; P = 0.0940 postoperatively). The lung spirometry was also unchanged, with no difference in forced expiratory capacity during the first second.

CONCLUSIONS: Correction of PE in adult patients does not improve the cardiopulmonary function 1 year after surgery as seen in children and adolescents.