Vacuum bell


A vacuum bell is a medical device used to correct pectus excavatum, a chest condition in which the breastbone sinks into the chest. The condition is estimated 1 in 300-400 births.
A rubber bell or cup-shaped device that connects to a pump. The device on the front of the chest and use the pump to suck the air out of the device. This creates suction, or a vacuum, that pulls the chest and breastbone forward. Over time, the chest wall and breastbone stay forward on their own and hold a new shape.

Studies

A single-center study reported in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery found that use of vacuum bell therapy resulted in an excellent correction in twenty percent of patients, but "is not a substitute for the Nuss procedure which can achieve an excellent result in 90% of patients" Variables predictive of an excellent outcome include age ≤ 11 years, chest wall depth ≤ 1.5 cm, chest wall flexibility, and vacuum bell use over 12 consecutive months.
In Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, the results found that VBT is a safe therapy for treating PE in a non-surgical conservative manner. VBT has been shown to have higher success rates in those who present earlier, have milder forms of PE, symmetric PE, a more compliant chest wall and lack of costal flaring.