Emotional aspects of self-attitude of adolescents with Pectus excavatum (PE) before and after surgery (pilot study)

Abstract

The present study deals with preliminary assessment of adolescents’ with Pectus excavatus (PE) personal emotional characters of selt-attitude prior to and after surgical treatment. PE is a congenital defect manifesting in retraction of sternum and cartilaginous portions of the ribs into the rib-cage. It constitutes about 90% of the entire number of cases of congenital pathology of the chest, its rate as high as 1-8 per 1000 neonates. The only method of treatment for this pathology is surgical operation for conservative measures can’t stop progressive deformation of the chest. The peak of this pathology coincides with adolescent period which is particularly sensitive for forming of personality. The goal of the present study is the assessment of emotional and personality features of adolescents with PE that are manifesting in peculiarities of cognitive, affective and behavioral reactivity. 26 adolescent patients aged 13 to 17 years with PE hospitalized at surgical clinic of St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University for subsequent primary operative elimination of this defect or recurring operation – ablation of the implant (1-4 years after the primary surgery) took part in the present study. High level of anxiety and depression associated with negative perception of their bodies prior to surgery was revealed. Urgent need for psychological assistance of these adolescents is evident as well as extension of further studies associated with peculiarities of emotional self-perception and its correlation with children-parents relationship character.