Simultaneous repair of congenital heart defect and pectus excavatum.

The author describes the simultaneous treatment of pectus excavatum and congenital intracardiac defect (atrial septal defect) represented by the interatrial foramen secundum. An 8-year-old boy, with clinical and echocardiography diagnosis of atrial septal defect associated with pectus excavatum was referred to a simultaneous surgical treatment of both abnormalities. The simultaneous surgical treatment of both pectus excavatum and congenital intracardiac defects make it difficult to access the heart. In this case, the simultaneous surgical treatment of atrial septal defect and pectus excavatum was a valuable alternative to surgical repair of both abnormalities, mainly due to its cosmetic outcome.