@drdavidabbasi: This condition is called pectus excavatum — and it affects more people than you'd think. 🩺🫀 Pectus excavatum occurs when the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum grows abnormally, pulling the breastbone inward and creating a funnel-shaped depression in the chest wall. It affects roughly 1 in 400 people and is the most common chest wall deformity seen in pediatric surgery. Mild cases are primarily cosmetic. Severe cases are measured using the Haller Index — a CT-based ratio of chest width to depth. A Haller Index above 3.25 typically qualifies for surgical intervention. The Nuss procedure corrects it by placing a convex steel bar beneath the sternum through small lateral incisions. The bar gradually pushes the sternum outward and is removed after two to three years once the chest wall has remodeled into its corrected shape. Cardiac and pulmonary function often improve significantly after correction. 🫁 ✅Follow @drdavidabbasi for More Daily Medical Content & Health Tips!🌴😷Schedule a consultation in Delray Beach! Visit www.primeorthocenter.com