Mechanical occlusion of the inferior vena cava: an early complication after repair of pectus excavatum using the Nuss procedure.

The Nuss procedure is the most widely used surgical procedure to correct pectus excavatum. Although it is a minimally invasive approach, a number of major early complications, such as heart perforation, have been reported. We describe a 15-year-old boy in whom acute occlusion of the inferior vena cava developed after a Nuss repair. The diagnosis was confirmed by emergency postoperative CT examination, and treatment consisted of immediate removal of the Nuss bar.