New advice for children living with chest abnormality welcomed by national treatment service
Ryan Dolan and his mum Liza
New advice has been published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland that recommends a potentially life-changing treatment option for children and young people living with a chest abnormality.
The advice has been welcomed by the Scottish National Chest Wall Service as it gives children and young people living with a condition called pectus excavatum, an innovative treatment option that avoids surgery.
The condition causes a sunken chest, where the ribs and breastbone grow inwards. People can be born with the condition or it can appear in young people following a growth spurt. The new advice, published by the Scottish Health Technologies Group, part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, recommends a device –called the vacuum bell – should be available as a treatment option for young people who have a pectus excavatum that is affecting their physical and emotional wellbeing.
The device is a flexible silicone suction cup that attaches to the chest and connects to a portable vacuum pump. A gentle vacuum is created and the suction brings the sternum forward.
Isla Lundie, Physiotherapy Lead at the Scottish National Chest Wall Service, hosted by the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, sees patients from birth up to 16 years old. She said:
We typically see around 90 to 100 children and young people a year. We think there will be many more children and young people living with the condition who are not receiving the support and treatment they need.
A lot of the patients we see are between the age of 12 and 16 years and the condition has a negative impact on their self-esteem and body confidence. Being able to wear the vacuum bell at home gives them the opportunity to undergo treatment without getting in the way of their daily life.”
Isla Lundie
Physiotherapy Lead at Scottish National Chest Wall Service
Ryan Dolan, 15, from Renfrew, was diagnosed with pectus excavatum at the age of 12. His mum, Liza, said she was relieved when she found out Ryan could be treated with the vacuum bell rather than undergoing invasive surgery.
Liza said: “Having the option of the vacuum bell device was a game-changer. Ryan is really pleased with the results and we feel lucky that this treatment option was available to him.”
Neil Smart, Chair of the Scottish Health Technologies Group Council, said: “Pectus excavatum can cause issues with self-esteem and depression, causing people to withdraw from activities that they would otherwise enjoy.
“We hope our latest advice will support healthcare professionals to refer people living with this condition for treatment that does not require surgery.”