Anesthetic management for pediatric correction of pectus excavatum with NUSS technique

The pectus excavatum is the most common malformation of the sternum (90% of all cases). The Nuss procedure is minimally invasive: a stainless steel bar is slipped under the sternum, under thoracoscopic guidance, through 2 small incisions made on the side of the chest. The bar is then reversed, and the sternum restored to the normal anatomical position. Combined anesthesia could be an efficient technique for perioperative pain management and this article describes a successful analgesic management.