Is the Funnel Chest Surgery Considered a Major Operation?

Question

My child was diagnosed with funnel chest shortly after birth, but due to their young age, surgery was not performed. Now, at four years old, the doctor suggests that surgery at this time would be more effective. Is funnel chest surgery considered a major operation?

Answer

Funnel chest surgery is not considered a major operation. Currently, it is commonly performed using thoracoscopy-assisted funnel chest correction, which only requires three small incisions about 1-3 centimeters above the chest wall. The surgery has minimal trauma, is minimally invasive, reduces surgical trauma, and accelerates recovery time. Some doctors have improved the technique of sternum flipping surgery, simplifying the previous surgical procedure and limiting the operation time to 1-2 hours. This surgery is cost-effective, has few complications, and has a low recurrence rate.