Nuss Procedure

For the past 15 years, the pediatric surgeons at Arkansas Children’s have corrected pectus excavatum (sunken chest) using a minimally invasive technique called the Nuss procedure. With the Nuss procedure, one to three metal bars are inserted behind the sternum in order to push it into a normal position. The team also uses cryoablation, which temporarily freezes the nerves in the area of the surgery to help block the pain from this procedure. This helps control pain and shortens the hospital stay.