Vacuum bell
A vacuum bell is a medical device used to correct pectus excavatum, a chest condition in which the breastbone sinks into the chest. The condition is estimated 1 in 300-400 births.[1]
A rubber bell or cup-shaped device that connects to a pump. The device on the front of the chest and use the pump to suck the air out of the device. This creates suction, or a vacuum, that pulls the chest and breastbone forward. Over time, the chest wall and breastbone stay forward on their own and hold a new shape.[2]
Studies
A single-center study reported in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery found that use of vacuum bell therapy resulted in an excellent correction in twenty percent of patients, but "is not a substitute for the Nuss procedure which can achieve an excellent result in 90% of patients"[3] Variables predictive of an excellent outcome include age ≤ 11 years, chest wall depth ≤ 1.5 cm, chest wall flexibility, and vacuum bell use over 12 consecutive months.[3]
In Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, the results found that VBT is a safe therapy for treating PE in a non-surgical conservative manner. VBT has been shown to have higher success rates in those who present earlier, have milder forms of PE, symmetric PE, a more compliant chest wall and lack of costal flaring.[4]
References
- ^ "Pectus Excavatum: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology". 2018-11-20.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Chest Wall Disorder: Pectus Excavatum (for Parents) - KidsHealth". kidshealth.org. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ a b Obermeyer, Robert J.; Cohen, Nina S.; Kelly, Robert E.; Ann Kuhn, M.; Frantz, Frazier W.; McGuire, Margaret M.; Paulson, James F. (2018-06-01). "Nonoperative management of pectus excavatum with vacuum bell therapy: A single center study". Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 53 (6): 1221–1225. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.02.088. ISSN 0022-3468. PMID 29606411.
- ^ Patel, Akshay J.; Hunt, Ian (2019-08-01). "Is vacuum bell therapy effective in the correction of pectus excavatum?". Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. 29 (2): 287–290. doi:10.1093/icvts/ivz082. PMID 30919892.