Review Detail

Had my consult with Dr. Miller today and I am very impressed. My story is complex as I had a Ravitch done when I was 16 years old and now have a mixed recurrence of Precuts Excavatum and Acquired Thoracic Syndrome (restriction of the chest wall and its volume after having a Ravitch at a younger age ). Both of these diagnosis caused restrictive lung disease and heart compression which would not allow my heart to pump effectively under stress.

I was struggling to find a surgeon who would evaluate me, let alone operate on me due it being a re-operation. My wife reached out to Dr. J who was not doing redo Pectus Excavatum surgery at this time (Thank You Dr. J for getting back to us). She did however recommend Dr. Miller and I can see why. He is very knowledgeable and familiar with the disease. He was able to identify or at least give his thoughts on why my previous surgery collapsed and how he would prevent it from occurring again. His explanation made complete sense from a structural stand point and he explained the use of his bio bridges. I was concerned about the bio bridges being strong enough as I am a big person (6'4"/230) but he did not seem concerned about my size and even said he has operated on bigger people.

He informed me I should arrive 1 day prior to surgery for an office visit and that I should plan on being in the hospital 5-7 days, then another 3 days in the area before I fly home. Typical follow up being at 1 month and 6 months.

I think what I am most impressed about is that Dr. Miller discussed what seemed to be an individualized plan for me which was very reassuring.

If you have Acquired Thoracic Syndrome (ATS) or recurrent Pectus Excavatum Dr. Miller is someone you should absolute consult with. I will post more after surgery to share my experience.