Victoria's Pectus Repair

If anyone is looking for a video of the actual surgery, here is a great one! This video is a tad graphic, but informs you on everything the doctors do to your body during surgery!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCrRsgN6aFI

This operation is much easier than getting the bar in. You do not need to wipe your body down the night before and there is no other form of preparation other than not eating past 12am on the day of your surgery. You once again meet with the anesthesiologist, who helps you once again, choose a flavor of “sleepy gas”. You are then placed in a room where you change into your scrubs and then are brought into the operating room. This time you actually feel the “sleepy gas”, so pick a good flavor. Out of this whole experience, I think receiving the aesthesia was the worst part. The feeling of everything fading away isn’t always the most comforting, but soon after I woke up and felt really good. Although I was in pain, it was much less pain than expected. I even got up in the recovery room to go to the bathroom.

Unlike the last time, my sister was the one to get sick this time. Odds are, it was because of the medicine. Although we felt pain on our sides, it wasn’t unbearable and I was basically able to completely function by the day after my surgery. Then again, I pushed myself to get up and do things. I felt really good after getting the bar out, and I was obviously very happy that this process was over. Within a couple days, I was completely fine despite the bruises on my sides.

I find that the surgery is much more efficient than the vacuum bell, which is another method of chest correction. My little brother uses the vacuum bell and this process seems to be much slower than the recovery from surgery. It may take him years before his chest is remotely corrected. Personally, I think the surgery is the way to go. Overall, the experience was a tough one, but well worth it. My lungs have expanded over 40% and I’ve never felt better.

The night before your surgery, you'll probably be nervous, but there's nothing to fear. The night before, the surgeons will probably ask you to wipe your body down with disinfectant towels. Although my surgery was three years ago, I distinctly remember this because it makes your entire body itch and in some areas, burn. Also, try to get a good nights rest.

On the day of your surgery, they will get you prepared by taking your vitals, measuring you, etc. You then meet with the anesthesiologist, who will tell you a little about what being under anesthesia is like and will then make you choose a flavor of anesthesia gas to have. Although they have super interesting flavors of anesthesia, you never get to taste it because they put you to sleep with a liquid, which is actually really easy.

In what feels like seconds, you are awake with the bar(s) in your chest! Although you may not feel the same when you wake up, I woke up feeling pretty groggy and in pain. I slept for the rest of that day basically. The next day was a little different- the doctors make you get up and try walking. The walking is probably going to be the worst pain you'll feel during this process, but as time goes on, it gets better. You will also be exhausted the second day as well, but most of this is due to the drugs the doctor prescribes to you.

Personally, I stayed in the hospital for a week and a half because the morphine reacted poorly with me. I began to throw up often due to it. My sister had quite the opposite reaction and was fine by the end of the week. She was walking fine and she did not get sick from the medicine. After discharge from the hospital, your body takes a while to adjust to actions. I slept on a reclining couch for over a month since I was unable to sleep flat and I was also homeschooled by my teachers for two months so that I didn’t fall behind on work. Looking back on my surgery and recovery, I realize that it wasn’t bad and wasn’t something to fear.