Complications Associated with Bar Fixation after Nuss Repair for Pectus Excavatum

A key step in the Nuss procedure, placement of a curved bar that lifts sternum in pectus excavatum, is fixation of the bar to the chest to stabilize the sternum in an anterior position. Complications of bar position and fixation are among the major complications of the Nuss procedure. Numerous techniques have been described in effort to reduce the risk of bar displacement, including the use of bar stabilizers at one or both ends of the bar, encircling the bar and adjacent rib with suture or wire, and using two bars at different levels of the chest.