Right, another update is due about my current Pectus Excavatum journey...

Last Thursday, I ended up going to Birmingham Heartlands Hospital at 9.30am to see the surgeon (who is actually the surgeon that will be doing my chest). He spoke to me about the different procedures that can be used, which included:

A) Ravitch technique - Loads of incisions, small bar, very invasive. 5 and half hour operation.

B) Nuss Procedure - Bar through the chest, the one I want. 1 and half hour operation.

C) Filling the dent with a collagen type solution. (but that's not correcting the bones, but correcting it cosmetically)

D) Pulling the stomach muscles up, and stretching along the two breast muscles, meeting at the point of the dent and attaching them to my breast bone. (Also cosmetic, but not what I want)

I'm going to be wanting the Nuss Procedure. That is my definite choice! Now as the surgeon was explaining to me, the possibility of death during the operation is not what I originally read up of being 1 in 300, but it's around 1 in 100 - yes, one hundred! His exact words were "you can die during the operation" ... not exactly what you want to hear, but they do have to tell you. So, because I'm slightly morbid, I'm actually thinking of arranging a "Pre-death Drink", just incase I pop my clogs on the operating table.

Anyways, so once we went through all the usual stuff and he checked out my chest, he wanted me to have a photo taken (so I can see the before and after from a different point of view and also for medical research / educational use). I signed the form for them to use them under my permission and only for educational use and then off I went to the photo room over in the Education Centre. After arriving at the education centre, I was thinking that I was just going into an office where someone will just use a normal digital camera, but no... it wasn't!! It was a full on photography studio - the white and black backdrops, the big lights with the umbrellas on them hanging from runners on the ceiling. One of the pictures that they did take of my chest is a really really good one and I want to find out if it's possible to get hold of a copy to show you all.

After having the photos done, I ended up going. Also the surgeon is now sending me for a CT scan just to see if everything in my chest is all good and fine, which I have been told I can have it at the local hospital of George Elliot in Nuneaton, then it will be back to the surgeon to see him one last time to get my final bits and bobs prepared and my operation date given, then it'll just be a 6 - 8 week wait. Yay!

I will also be video documenting the journey, when it gets closer to the time and also I will be keeping you updated on here too.