Trends in the Treatment of Pectus Excavatum in the Netherlands

Introduction Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common deformity of the anterior chest wall and can be corrected surgically with different techniques. In the past years, medical literature suggests that the minimal invasive surgical correction of PE (MIRPE) has currently become the operation technique of choice in Europe, and the number of PE patients undergoing surgery has increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate trends in the number of patients operated on and the surgical techniques generally used in patients with PE in the Netherlands. Materials and Methods From the registration by Statistics Netherlands, the numbers of live births and gender were obtained for the period 1980 to 2017. Furthermore, from the Dutch hospital registration performed by Kiwa Prismant systems, the number of total surgical procedures of PE patients from the period 1998 to 2017, and the numbers of open and MIRPE surgery were obtained over the period 2005 to 2013. Results The birth rate in Netherlands has stayed more or less stable in the last two decades. The number of PE patients asking for correction, however, has increased. In addition, the percentage of thoracoscopic assisted correction has increased. Conclusion The increase in correction of PE is not due to an increased incidence but to an increase of patient wishes. The use of MIRPE is gaining popularity over time.