Dr. Daniel L. Miller

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.

I had originally planned to go to Mayo and see Dr. J, when I found out about Dr. Miller. I decided to go meet him since he was 10 minutes away. I could quickly tell he was highly skilled. The WellStar network he is a part of sing his praises and all of his staff as well. One of his staff told me someone came from another country to have the modified Ravitch. He told me he does the 3rd highest number of Adult Pectus surgeries in US, and he does repairs. He does both Nuss and Modified Ravitch, which he does with a dissolvable bar so you have extra stability and do not need a second surgery. Just a small bonus he does not use an epidural nor a catheter- both of which I was dreading. They did a good job of managing my pain in hospital (4 nights.) He came to check on me every morning. I am very happy with my outcome- my scar is small and I feel great! I am amazed at how I can walk on the treadmill now with my heart rate staying below 115!

When I found this site, and realized that my adult pectus could be corrected ( I was told it wasn't recommended in 2012) I watched the webinars on this site and had planned to go see Dr. Jaroszewsi at Mayo. However, I realized I had gone to high school with Dr. Notrica and reached out to him- he gave me the name of Dr. Daniel Miller who is 10 minutes from my house in Marietta, GA. I was able to get an appt. the following week, and he immediately validated my symptoms where previous doctors had repeatedly invalidated them. He looked at my CT scan from 2012 and could already tell I was a 3.9 or 4 for my Haller index. He ordered three tests, pulmonary function, ECG and updated CT scan, and we met again two weeks later. He told me he performs the 3rd most adult pectus repairs in the US, and Dr. Jaroszewski sends him referrals. Also, when the office staff was scheduling my surgery, she told me that people come from around the world to have him repair and correct former repairs. He did offer me either the Nuss or the Ravitch. I opted for the Ravitch because it is a one-time operation. Dr. Miller uses a plate made of biomaterials that dissolve as the body heals and cartilage regrows (no metal plates.) Everyone on his staff was so professional and courteous, I felt I was in great hands. I am 5 days post surgery, pain is being managed- I never got above a 6. He came to see me every day and had me up walking within 24 hours. He had a shield made that I will wear in public and when in cars for 6 weeks. They really thought of everything- I cannot recommend them highly enough.