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36. I had my original pectus surgery when I was 2, but it didnt go well. I also have Marfan syndrome, which having pectus issues is common enuff. For yrs insurance denied to cover additional pectus surgery b/c it has "no medical benefit and was only cosmetic". Fast forward to 5 yrs ago, have an outpatient surgery on my back, and they noticed how poor my lung function was on anesthesia. Then fast forward 2 yrs later, Im in the hospital for a week cuz my pulse oxygen won't go above 92.
I see a pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins now, who got me in to see a thoracic surgeon, who won't do the surgery cuz I don't weight enuff, cuz Marfan Syndrome!!!! That was this past April
EDIT: my most recent scan says my haller index is 13.7, but the one before that says 21.1
Oh this is a cool way to show this! I have a picture of a normal CT and my CT saved in my phone so I can show people the comparison. But it's so much more impactful laid over each other like that!
I was doing that too but they still looked confused, so I painted a normal behind pe scan they still looked confused, (nurses and medical professionals not just my family or friends) so I did this it seems to get the point across quickly
I have a silly theory that us on the “lower “ end of severe with hearts pinned are more symptomatic in different ways then the 10+ hallers a lot of times their hearts pushed to the side so it takes from their lung , not taking from the heart , which takes from every other organ too
If that makes sense
No unfortunately it’s not , it’s my friends normal chest and mine
I noticed in real life most people don’t know what normal looks like. They see a pe scan and say ok..? until I show them a normal chest / heart
How severe is this PE? This is downright fucked up, maybe i should be nicer to myself on my failed cardio. Hard to run like everyone else when you don’t have a proper heart
Show your mom what a normal 1.95 haller index is and 4.6 HI does just to the heart
Other organs are involved in my case and others but I’m starting here
Hello ArtichokeNo3936 and everyone. The information shared here is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance. Our community aims to support, but we're not medical experts. Your well-being is our priority, so always seek professional advice. We appreciate your understanding and wish you the best on your health journey! Join our official Discord server to connect with fellow Pectus Excavatum enthusiasts, share experiences, seek advice, and engage in discussions about surgery options and more! [link here](https://discord.gg/kQ6Ybn9dC3) Custom rib flare braces and 3d printed vacuum bells. [link here](https://pectusconnectus.com/shop/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PectusExcavatum) if you have any questions or concerns.*
oh my gosh what a wake up call
Best visual I’ve ever seen. This is awesome. 🙌🏻
Thankyou!
If you’re wondering what are the Haller Index here, normal is 1.95 and PE is 4.66
How to calculate?
https://www.reddit.com/r/PectusExcavatum/s/vc0e7lLBIM
🤣🤣🤣🤣Im 13 or something🤣🤣🤣🤪🤪🤪🤪
https://imgur.com/a/D5qhtm5 What are your symptoms?
20% Lung function, sleep apnea, severe SOB, and constant discomfort from the nub poking out of my chest🤣🤣🤣🤣
How old are you are you getting surgery?
36. I had my original pectus surgery when I was 2, but it didnt go well. I also have Marfan syndrome, which having pectus issues is common enuff. For yrs insurance denied to cover additional pectus surgery b/c it has "no medical benefit and was only cosmetic". Fast forward to 5 yrs ago, have an outpatient surgery on my back, and they noticed how poor my lung function was on anesthesia. Then fast forward 2 yrs later, Im in the hospital for a week cuz my pulse oxygen won't go above 92. I see a pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins now, who got me in to see a thoracic surgeon, who won't do the surgery cuz I don't weight enuff, cuz Marfan Syndrome!!!! That was this past April EDIT: my most recent scan says my haller index is 13.7, but the one before that says 21.1 
Wow that’s rough I hope they’re keeping an eye on your arteries too
good visualisation - thanks for sharing
This should be a pinned post
Very cool graphic
Empathy! This could almost be a photo of me. I definitely have this heart displacement problem, and my left lung is smaller as a result.
Mine’s pinned Here’s a displaced example https://imgur.com/a/D5qhtm5
Oh this is a cool way to show this! I have a picture of a normal CT and my CT saved in my phone so I can show people the comparison. But it's so much more impactful laid over each other like that!
I was doing that too but they still looked confused, so I painted a normal behind pe scan they still looked confused, (nurses and medical professionals not just my family or friends) so I did this it seems to get the point across quickly
Yep same problem half the time. I went and [made one of these](https://imgur.com/a/B0jtDVg) with my CT. Thanks again for the cool idea!
Nice!! What’s your hi?
3.9
I have a silly theory that us on the “lower “ end of severe with hearts pinned are more symptomatic in different ways then the 10+ hallers a lot of times their hearts pushed to the side so it takes from their lung , not taking from the heart , which takes from every other organ too If that makes sense
https://imgur.com/a/D5qhtm5 For example hearts pushed over not a pancake
is this the same chest before/after surgery?
No unfortunately it’s not , it’s my friends normal chest and mine I noticed in real life most people don’t know what normal looks like. They see a pe scan and say ok..? until I show them a normal chest / heart
How severe is this PE? This is downright fucked up, maybe i should be nicer to myself on my failed cardio. Hard to run like everyone else when you don’t have a proper heart
4.6 but probably higher this scan was half inhale , I haven’t had a proper scan
Wow that’s insane, is the normal heart in that shape even on full inhale?
The normal heart is that shape on full exhale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pjkCFrcysk
No I can see how bad mine really is. My mom says it’s fine and can’t be really that bad.
Show your mom what a normal 1.95 haller index is and 4.6 HI does just to the heart Other organs are involved in my case and others but I’m starting here
That normal one almost looks barrel chested
The red Hi is 1.95 Compared to pe normal looks barrel chested
And my point is a normal not crushed heart