First Nuss Procedure at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (2011)

From the archive: this milestone took place in November 2011. It was first reported by the Western Cape Government.

In November 2011, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town performed the Nuss procedure for the first time. The patient was Tinika Davies, a young girl from Delft with pectus excavatum, a sunken breastbone that was pressing on her heart and lungs.

Before surgery, Tinika tired quickly. Her mother explained that she could only play or walk for about fifteen minutes before needing a long rest. A simple cold left her short of breath and complaining of chest pain.

Dr Ivan Schewitz flew in from Johannesburg and performed the operation pro bono. The hospital’s Facility Board covered his travel, and Selective Surgical donated the pectus bar. The surgery took about an hour. Tinika spent a day in ICU and went home a week later, doing well.

Why this case still matters

The Nuss procedure corrects a sunken chest through two small incisions on the sides of the chest. A curved metal bar sits behind the breastbone and lifts it into a normal position, and no cartilage is removed. In 2011 very few surgeons in South Africa offered it, which is why a public children’s hospital brought in outside expertise.

Tinika’s story makes a point that still holds today. Pectus excavatum is often written off as cosmetic, yet it can limit stamina and breathing. If your child tires easily or gets breathless with exercise, a proper assessment is worth it.