During the last decades it has been commonly accepted that funnel chest is such a serious cosmetic handicap that it deserves correction for this reason alone.A group of patients with this deformity, operated upon by the method of Paltia (transsternal fixation with metal struts), was re-examined 5 to 10 years postoperatively. In more than 50% of the cases the immediate acceptable cosmetic result had disappeared in contrast to the satisfaction expressed by almost all the patients. Because of the high incidence of recurrence and because of various risks involved in this operation, the authors do not advocate its performance.Among the various deformities of the thorax, funnel chest (pectus excavatum) has attracted much attention.Many authors consider funnel chest as a cause of cardiopulmonary symptoms (Hegemann and Schoberth, 1958;von Mallinckrodt and Gremmel, 1960;Dafoe and Ross, 1961;Flemming and Neute, 1966), while others are more doubtful (Brodkin, 1948;Myhre, 1955;Landtman, 1958;Ashmore, 1963; Zorab, 1966;Wohl, 1968).The majority of patients with funnel chest have no organic symptoms, but the purely cosmetic aspect is of great significance for many. In this country, Hansen and Jacoby (1956) found reduced pulmonary function in four patients with funnel chest. Normal values were found after operation. Fabricius, Davidsen, and Hansen (1957) found no correlation between the degree of funnel chest and the severity of symptoms and concluded that the indication for operation in most cases was purely cosmetic.Until about 1960, the operative procedure followed in the University Hospital, Copenhagen, was external fixation (Therkelsen, 1951(Therkelsen, , 1953 The present material consists of 18 of the abovementioned patients. Of the original 25 patients, four are now resident abroad. In three patients radiographs could not be obtained, while the remaining 18 patients were examined clinically as well as radiologically 7 to 10 years after operation.Four of the 18 patients are women and 14 men. Only two patients were under the age of 10 years at the time of operation, and only one was over 20 years old.