Vacuum Bell Therapy for Pectus Excavatum: Long-term Experience at a Single Center

Infographic · Mar 2025 · 1 min read

In brief

Single-center retrospective study of 278 patients evaluating vacuum bell therapy for pectus excavatum found 11% achieved excellent correction. Predictors of success included age 8-12 years, initial chest depth <1.5cm, and increased chest wall flexibility, with only 15.5% requiring subsequent surgical correction.

Vacuum bell therapy achieved excellent correction in only 11% of pectus excavatum patients, suggesting limited efficacy as standalone treatment.
Best VBT outcomes occur in patients aged 8-12.9 years with initial chest depth <1.5 cm and flexible chest walls.
No patients with excellent VBT correction required subsequent surgery, compared to 15.5% overall surgical rate in the cohort.
Chest wall flexibility and mild defect severity are key predictors of successful non-surgical pectus excavatum correction.
VBT may help identify patients suitable for conservative management versus those requiring surgical intervention.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the infographic.

A three-column comparison layout with medical illustrations of esophageal procedures. Each column contains anatomical diagrams in blue and pink tones showing the esophagus and surgical intervention points, accompanied by statistical data boxes below. The design uses a clean, clinical color palette with icons and percentage indicators for outcomes.

Shelby Aughtman, Charles Hehman, Letitia Janssen, Jamie Golden, Michael J. Goretsky, Robert J. Obermeyer

Aim: To evaluate factors associated with excellent correction in pectus excavatum patients undergoing vacuum bell therapy (VBT).

Methods: A single-institution retrospective chart review was performed November 2012–April 2023 to assess corrections of patients who underwent VBT. Patient demographics, presentation, and results were collected. Excellent correction was defined as complete correction or >100 % improved from an average standard chest depth of 0.51 cm. Data are reported using odds ratio & confidence intervals; and paired t-test comparison. A p-value of <0.05 was regarded as significant.

Results: VBT was utilized in 431 patients with 278 patients included and 153 excluded due to loss of follow-up or incomplete data. Of those included, 89 % were male. There were 31 patients with excellent corrections (11 %) and 247 non-excellent corrections. Initial chest depth < 1.5 cm and chest wall flexibility remain important predictors of positive outcome (p=0.008 and < 0.001, respectively). Excellent correction was statistically more likely in patients aged 8 to 12.9 (OR = 2.2, p = 0.039). Surgical correction following VBT was performed in only 15.5 % (42 of 278) of our patients, none of which were in the group with an excellent correction.

Conclusion: Excellent correction for pectus excavatum via VBT was achieved in a small proportion of patients, with improved outcomes in those initiating therapy at a younger age, with a mild defect, and with increased chest wall flexibility. These data may be used to help determine those more likely to achieve complete correction from a nonsurgical approach and guide decisions towards treatment methods.

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