Outcome Data: CHKD's Nuss Program

Since 1987, CHKD has tracked its consults, surgeries and outcomes to provide data relevant to the patient population seeking help for chest wall deformities for benchmarking purposes. CHKD is dedicated to improving all facets of chest wall repair by its Nuss Center team.

Nuss Procedure

• Total chest wall deformities evaluated at CHKD: 6159
• Primary Repairs: 2,763
• Re-do Repairs: 134
  - Previous CHKD: 12
  - Previous non-CHKD: 122
• Recurrence rate for the past 10 years (2013-2023): 0.75% recurrence rate
• Median age at time of repair: 15
• Average length of hospital stay after repair (over the past 5 years): 3.2 days 

Non-surgical Interventions

Bracing therapy (bracing began in 2009)

• 584 total bracing patients
• 97.1% success rate out of the patients that have successfully completed bracing treatment compared to those who have failed bracing

Vacuum Bell (began in 2012)

• 433 Total patients using vacuum bell
• Average age of patients using the vacuum bell: 13.7 years old