Electrocardiographic characteristics of patients with funnel chest before and after surgical correction using pectus bar: A new association with precordial J wave pattern

•We compared surface ECG in patients with funnel chest before and after surgical correction.•ECG abnormalities before surgery were frequent, and can normalize after surgical correction.•De novo J wave pattern in leads V4–V6 was a frequent finding after surgery using a pectus bar.

ObjectiveAbnormal ECG findings suggestive of cardiac disease are frequent in patients with funnel chest, although structural heart disease is rare. Electrocardiographic characteristics and changes following new surgical treatments in young adults are not described so far. The aim of the study was to analyze electrocardiographic characteristics of patients with funnel chest before and after minimally invasive funnel chest correction by the Nuss procedure.MethodsTwenty-six patients with surgical correction of funnel chest using pectus bar were included. Twelve-lead ECGs before and later than one year after surgery were analyzed.ResultsIn postoperative ECGs, amplitude of P wave in lead II and negative terminal amplitude of P wave in lead V1 decreased from 0.13 to 0.10 mV (p = 0.03), and from 0.10 to 0.04 mV (p < 0.001), respectively. Mean QRS duration decreased from 108 ms to 98 ms (p = 0.003) after correction. A pathological left and right Sokolow-Lyon index was observed in 35% and 23% of patients before, versus 8% (p = 0.04) and 0% (p = 0.01) after correction, respectively. In contrast, the rate of patients with J wave pattern in precordial leads V4–V6 increased from 8% before to 42% after surgery (p = 0.004).ConclusionsECG abnormalities in patients with funnel chest are frequent, and can normalize after surgical correction by the Nuss procedure. De novo J wave pattern in precordial leads V4–V6 is a frequent finding after surgical funnel chest correction using pectus bar.