Declan

Declan came to KIDS Orthopedic & Chest Care with severe pectus excavatum that left him short of breath when he played sports. Dr. Abdullah corrected it with a modified Nuss procedure and cryoablation. The day after surgery Declan was surprised by how easily he could walk, and by the second day he was breathing more easily and needed less pain medication than the day before.

His father described a steady taper at home: a higher dose of pain medication for about the first six days, cut in half after that, reduced again four days later, and none at all by thirteen days. At three weeks Declan’s sensation was returning exactly as expected and he could stretch and raise his arms freely. Two and a half months out he was pain-free and back on the golf course. His family credits starting physical therapy early as the thing that made the recovery so quick.