'Daft' device for sunken chest has changed teenager's life

BBC News

2 days ago

Teenager Ryan Dolan is receiving a life-changing treatment for his chest condition – and his family say it has made the world of difference.He was 12 when he was diagnosed with pectus excavatum, a condition which results in a sunken chest, where the ribs and breastbone grow inwards.When it is severe, the condition can put pressure on the heart and lungs.For the past 14 months Ryan, now 15, has been using a device called a vacuum bell to gently pull the sternum forward.This silicone suction cup attaches to the chest and connects to a portable vacuum pump. A gentle vacuum is created and the suction gradually brings the sternum out.
Scotland is the first part of the UK to issue national advice recommending its use for children who have pectus excavatum which is negatively affecting their physical and emotional wellbeing.Healthcare Improvement Scotland has approved the device as a less invasive alternative to surgery, which is only required for the most complex cases.Ryan, who is from Renfrew, had been referred to the Scottish National Chest Wall Service at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, which sees around 90 to 100 children a year with pectus excavatum.Isla Lundie, physiotherapy lead for the service, says many more people are likely to be living with the relatively unknown condition.She says the condition is four times as common among boys. While children can be born with pectus excavatum, it more typically occurs during puberty.
Ms Lundie says living with a chest abnormality can have a negative impact on a young person's self-esteem and body confidence."Especially with social media, people can be a lot more self-conscious of their chest wall," she says."Some people might be impacted by that side of things, like they don't feel comfortable when they take their top off when they go on holiday."Ryan first noticed the condition in the bath when water seemed to get stuck in a well in his chest.Using the vacuum bell has reduced the dent in his chest from 1.9 cm to 0.05 cm.He says the device "looks like a daft wee thing - but it works".His mum Liza says surgery would have involved making incisions both sides of Ryan's chest, then using a metal bar to bring the chest forward.
That could have left him with scars, in addition to the recovery time from surgery.But she says the vacuum bell has been "fabulous"."It's not dead heavy, it's literally a bit of silicon. You pop it on and it's made the world of difference," Liza said.Simon Kendall, chair of the charity Pectus Matters says Scotland is "setting the high standards for what a great pectus service should look like"."Scotland is the only nation in the world to our knowledge that has a coordinated service for people who suffer from pectus deformities of their chest wall," he says."Having a national centre based in Glasgow allows patients, families, GPs, paediatricians access to the expertise and advice of the increasingly experienced team."