Objective To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of a modified Nuss procedure utilizing a pre-shaped bar with T-shaped ends and an intercostal fixation (rib-locking) technique for the repair of pectus excavatum in adults. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 166 patients with chest wall deformities who underwent surgical treatment at our center between August 2020 and May 2023. Preoperative and postoperative Haller indices were compared. Operative time, length of hospital stay, and perioperative complications were recorded. Follow-up was conducted at 3 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years postoperatively to assess satisfaction with chest wall appearance and quality of life. Results The median operative time was 35 (range: 30-45) min, and the median length of hospital stay was 4 (3-5) days. All patients were discharged after recovery, with no perioperative mortality. The median Haller index decreased from 4.3 (3.6-5.1) preoperatively to 2.9 ( 2.6-3.1) postoperatively. Only 2 patients (1.2%) required thoracic drainage due to pneumothorax or pleural effusion. Bar displacement occurred in 1 patient (0.6%), which was managed by re-operation 2 months postoperatively. At 2 and 3 years postoperatively, >98% of patients remained "very satisfied" with the cosmetic results. All followed-up patients reported their quality of life as "better" or "much better" after the minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum. Conclusions The modified procedure can achieve satisfactory correction in adult pectus excavatum with a low incidence of complications and bar displacement. It possesses clinical application value, though further validation through multicenter prospective studies is warranted.
One of the most important environmental cleanliness indicators is airborne microbe. However, the particularity of clean operating environment and controlled experimental environment often leads to the limitation of the airborne microbe research. This paper designed and implemented a microenvironment test chamber for airborne microbe research in normal test conditions. Numerical simulation by Fluent showed that airborne microbes were evenly dispersed in the upper part of test chamber, and had a bottom-up concentration growth distribution. According to the simulation results, the verification experiment was carried out by selecting 5 sampling points in different space positions in the test chamber. Experimental results showed that average particle concentrations of all sampling points reached 107 counts/m3 after 5 minutes’ distributing of Staphylococcus aureus, and all sampling points showed the accordant mapping of concentration distribution. The concentration of airborne microbe in the upper chamber was slightly higher than that in the middle chamber, and that was also slightly higher than that in the bottom chamber. It is consistent with the results of numerical simulation, and it proves that the system can be well used for airborne microbe research.
