Northern Ireland patients wait for pectus surgery as one surgeon speaks out
A 26-year-old from County Down describes years of hiding her condition, while a local surgeon who had the same deformity calls for earlier diagnosis.
Key points
- BBC News reports 85 people in Northern Ireland are on the list for pectus operations.
- Five patients have been on the waiting list for more than five years.
- The Department of Health says extra funding has paid for additional procedures over the last three years.
- A surgeon who had the condition as a child says early diagnosis can avoid surgery.
A young woman from County Down has spoken publicly about living with pectus excavatum, a chest wall condition, while she waits for surgery. According to BBC News, Charlie Clarke, now 26, says the condition shaped her school years and her sense of self. Her case sits within a waiting list in Northern Ireland that holds 85 people needing pectus surgery.
Pectus excavatum, sometimes called funnel chest, causes the breastbone to curve inwards. This can make the chest look sunken or hollow. The BBC reports that the condition affects about one in every 200 people. In Charlie’s case, her heart and lungs are compressed, which can lead to breathlessness, a fast heart rate and, at times, loss of consciousness.
Years of hiding and misdiagnosis
Charlie told the BBC that as a teenager she avoided classmates and felt unhappy in her school uniform. She hid in the school bathroom during PE lessons. At home she pulled her dressing gown snugly across her chest, and she never told her parents what she was going through.
She said she was misdiagnosed at first and was told she had anxiety. She was only referred to a thoracic surgeon at 23, after a clinical technician found that a scan could not clearly show her heart. By that age, non-surgical treatment is generally considered too late.
A surgeon with personal experience
Charlie eventually met Niall McGonigle, who practises as a senior thoracic surgeon in Northern Ireland and focuses on chest wall deformities. McGonigle had the same condition as a child and had surgery at 17. He told the BBC that he was bullied at school, which led him away from sports. That experience, he said, led him into medicine.
McGonigle said the condition is not widely recognised in Northern Ireland. Patients are sometimes dismissed as seeking cosmetic surgery. He said there is strong evidence that the condition can restrict the lungs and heart. He added that young patients in Northern Ireland sometimes have to travel to England for care, and he linked the limits of the local service to inconsistent funding.
Government response and treatment options
The Department of Health accepted that some people in Northern Ireland have faced lengthy waits. It linked the pressure on waiting times to the number of patients and a heavy workload in thoracic surgery. It also stated that additional money had made it possible to carry out extra pectus operations across the previous three years, and that a further proposal should help cut waiting lists.
The department said work in 2023 led to a service offering non-surgical bracing for pectus carinatum, which it said may in some cases remove the need for surgery. Treatments such as vacuum bell therapy and compression bracing work best when started early, particularly in younger patients. In October, patients and clinicians from around the UK came together in Belfast to talk about the condition.
According to Simon Kendall, from the charity Pectus Matters, starting treatment early can reduce costs for healthcare services over time. Charlie, who is waiting for surgery, said she hopes speaking out will raise awareness and help others, including her 11-year-old sister.
Frequently asked questions
What is pectus excavatum?
Pectus excavatum, also called funnel chest, is a condition where the breastbone curves inwards. This can make the chest look sunken or hollow. The chest deformity tends to be most visible during childhood or the teenage years.
How many people are waiting for pectus surgery in Northern Ireland?
BBC News reports that 85 people in Northern Ireland are on the surgical waiting list for pectus conditions. Most have been waiting under two years, while five have been waiting over five years.
Can pectus excavatum be treated without surgery?
Treatment without an operation may be possible when the condition is found early. The report names vacuum bell therapy, which suits younger people with a flexible chest, and compression bracing, which is most effective in teenagers.
Sources
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