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Chest wall surgery restores stamina, helps teen achieve goal to play Division I soccer her childhood, Madeline Allburn remembers picking out looseT hroughout fitting clothes so that no one could see the way her lower ribs stuck out.
As she entered her pre-teen years, the flare of her ribs became more pronounced, especially on her right side. She couldn’t lie on her stomach comfortably. In her soccer uniform, her ribs stayed hidden. She could forget about them unless another player knocked into her, which would hurt. Her mother, Lauren Allburn, remembers the heartache of watching her daughter struggle with the way she looked. “When Madeline would wear a bathing suit, her ribs would noticeably protrude,” Lauren says. “She felt very self-conscious.” To the Allburns, Madeline’s rib flare was more than a cosmetic issue. They worried about the psychological toll it was taking on their 12-year old daughter. Fortunately, a close friend of the family – a pediatric surgeon practicing outside the region – and Madeline’s own pediatrician, Dr. Kristina Powell, of Pediatric Associates of Williamsburg, were both aware that the premier center for pediatric chest wall treatment was right around the corner at CHKD. They referred the family to CHKD surgeon, Dr. Frazier Frantz, who recommended monitoring Madeline with periodic visits as she grew. Unbeknownst to the Allburns, this was the beginning of a medical journey that not only revealed a serious chest wall defect in Madeline, but also in her sister, Clare. The sisters are sharing their experience to give hope to other young girls who have a chest wall deformity. Madeline had pectus excavatum – a condition where the sternum and rib cage grow abnormally, giving the appearance of a sunken chest. It’s much more common among boys than girls. It can show up at birth or develop during puberty, becoming more severe with growth spurts. In serious cases, the depression of the chest wall can crowd the heart and lungs. A child with pectus excavatum may have chest pain, tire easily, and have a hard time breathing during exercise. 12
Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters