Nuss Procedure Recovery: A Week-by-Week Guide for Patients and Families
What recovery from the Nuss procedure actually looks like, week by week. From hospital discharge through full return to sport. Pectus Clinic South Africa.
14 June 2026
What recovery from the Nuss procedure actually looks like, week by week. From hospital discharge through full return to sport. Pectus Clinic South Africa.
Pectus surgery recovery aligns neatly with the South African winter school holidays. Here’s how to plan a Nuss procedure around the June and July break.
Many South Africans with pectus excavatum are misdiagnosed with asthma, especially as the weather cools. Learn the difference and when to see a specialist.
Dezrie was born in December 2006, premature on 35 weeks. Since she was 6 months old she used to be admitted with pneumonia and by the time she was 3 years old, sh has been admitted to hospital about 10 times.
I first noticed there was something wrong with my chest when I was around ten years old. The dent in my chest just kept getting worse to the point where I was too embarrassed to ever take my shirt off. I could never swim and changing clothes for gym class at school was a nightmare. I was teased all my life for being tall and skinny and having a deformed chest just made things so much worse.
Tinika Davies of Delft has a hereditary deformity of the chest which puts a lot of pressure on her lungs and heart. Dr Marco Zampoli, a paediatric pulmonologist at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, said the condition, Pectus excavatum, caused Tinika to have difficulty with breathing.
While Pectus Excavatum (sunken chest) and Pectus Carinatum (pigeon chest) certainly affect a child’s appearance and confidence, labeling them as “purely aesthetic” overlooks the very real physical toll these conditions can take on a developing body.
Chest deformities are far more than cosmetic concerns. In South Africa, pioneers like Dr. Ivan Schewitz have transformed care with minimally invasive techniques, changing lives across the continent.