With the summer holiday in full swing, the waiting area of ICWS has been packed with a large number of patients seeking treatment for chest wall deformities. Since early July, ICWS has completed nearly 250 chest wall surgeries, mostly on students aged 11 to 19 who took advantage of their school vacations to address conditions such as pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum. On July 4, ICWS has performed 38 surgeries in a single day, and as the number of patients continued to increase, the surgical volume surged to 47 on July 24, setting a new record.

Dr. Wenlin Wang, the Director of ICWS, reminds parents: “If you notice any signs of chest wall deformity in your child, it may be a good idea to consult with a chest wall specialist as soon as possible, and the summer and winter vacations are ideal times for adolescents to undergo corrective surgery.”

Xiaoyu (alias), a 15-year-old boy, was born with Poland syndrome, a rare condition that involves various deformities. It is characterized by the congenital underdevelopment or absence of bone and soft tissue structures in the chest wall, including the absence of the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and ribs. Xiaoyu had missed his third and fourth ribs, which causes the right side of his chest to collapse significantly. From a young age, his parents could see his chest visibly move when he breathed. As a result, even simple activities like jumping rope leave him short of breath, and he usually has to stop after less than a minute. After years of searching for suitable treatment options, Xiaoyu’s parents learned that ICWS was capable of performing the complex surgery he needed. Therefore, they brought Xiaoyu to Guangzhou immediately after his exams, hoping for a swift recovery before he starts high school.

“There are very few chest wall specialists in China, or even globally, making it difficult for many patients to find the treatment they need,” Dr. Wang explains. Chest wall deformity is the primary focus of ICWS, and the team excels in corrective surgeries for various deformities. This summer alone, they have successfully treated dozens of patients with significant chest wall deformities, including severe pectus excavatum, asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (ATD), Poland syndrome, asymmetrical pectus carinatum,complex chest wall deformities, etc. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that they have performed 48 surgeries for ATD, once again breaking the global record for the number of surgeries for this condition.

ICWS is the world’s first specialized hospital for chest wall surgery, with Dr. Wenlin Wang as the founder of this specialized field in China. These years, ICWS has seen a notable uptick in patient volume, driven by its growing reputation for tackling the most challenging cases. “Each patient presents with unique deformities and health conditions. To ensure surgical safety and quality, we meticulously design personalized treatment plans to achieve the best corrective outcomes,” Dr. Wang said.

To fundamentally correct and treat chest wall deformities, surgery is an essential option. In recent years, an increasing number of parents of affected children have become aware of the necessity of treating this condition and opt for early surgical intervention. For school-aged children, the summer and winter breaks provide an ideal opportunity for surgery, allowing sufficient time for recovery before they resume their regular routines.