New Surgical Fix for Pectus Excavatum in Young Cats and Dogs Shows Promising Results

Internal plate fixation successfully corrects pectus excavatum with minimal complications in 6 cats and 1 dog

Carolina Torres Villegas, Daniel Degner, Bryden J. Stanley

Background

Pectus excavatum (PE) is a congenital thoracic deformity characterized by dorsal displacement of the sternum and costal cartilages, resulting in a concave chest wall. The condition occurs in several species, including cats and dogs, and can cause respiratory difficulty, exercise intolerance, and cardiac compression. Traditional treatments in young animals often involve external splinting techniques, which may lead to complications such as dermatitis, pressure sores, respiratory distress, or recurrence of the deformity. This study aimed to describe and evaluate a modified surgical technique using internal plate fixation and cerclage wires to correct PE and assess its effect on thoracic structure and lung volume.

Methods

Client-owned animals aged 8–20 weeks with diagnosed PE were enrolled between February 2024 and September 2025. Preoperative assessment included physical examination, thoracic radiographs, blood work, and CT scans to characterize the deformity and measure lung and chest volumes. During surgery, a noncontoured cuttable bone plate was placed along the entire length of the sternum and secured with multiple cerclage wires around individual sternebrae. Postoperative imaging and clinical evaluations were performed immediately after surgery and at 2 weeks, 8 weeks, and a final follow-up between 8 and 12 months of age to assess thoracic growth, implant stability, complications, and clinical outcomes.

Results

Seven animals (6 cats and 1 dog) underwent surgical correction. All animals recovered successfully, and thoracic conformation improved immediately after surgery. Mean lung volume increased from approximately 73 cm³ preoperatively to 104 cm³ postoperatively, while total chest volume also increased significantly. Over long-term follow-up, chest volume continued to increase as the animals grew. Most animals showed increased lung volume at final evaluation, although two cats had lower lung volumes due to unrelated pulmonary pathology. Complications were minimal and included mild pneumothorax in several animals, one clinically significant pneumothorax requiring thoracocentesis, fracture of one sternebra in a single cat, and one broken cerclage wire without clinical impact. All animals remained clinically normal at follow-up with sustained correction of the deformity.

Limitations

The study was limited by the small sample size and inclusion of only one dog, which restricts generalization to the wider canine population. Additionally, follow-up focused primarily on young animals with compliant sternebrae, and the effectiveness of the technique in older animals with more rigid thoracic structures remains uncertain.

Conclusions

Internal sternal fixation using a noncontoured plate combined with cerclage wires effectively corrected pectus excavatum in young cats and a dog with minimal complications. The procedure improved thoracic shape and lung capacity without interfering with sternal growth. This technique may provide a practical and well-tolerated surgical option for correcting pectus excavatum in young small animals.

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