MEDIA ADVISORY: Mayo Clinic expert available for interviews during Pectus Excavatum Awareness Month

December is Pectus Excavatum Awareness Month.

Pectus excavatum is frequently recognized in childhood, usually during a growth spurt between the ages of 8 and 14, when the chest wall becomes clearly concave and sunken inward. The condition can compress the heart and lungs, and cause symptoms like shortness of breath, lack of energy, and difficulty doing exercise and activities. These become more severe over time.

But a breakthrough innovation used by Dr. Dawn Jaroszewski, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, is fixing the problem and changing the lives of patients from all over the world.

Dr. Jaroszewski is available to talk about:

• The surgery technique that involves a bar that slides into the rib space during pectus excavatum surgery — similar to how braces are used to straighten teeth.
• Her innovation that includes the addition of a "hammock" that provides support for the bar, which allows adults, not just children, to benefit from pectus excavatum surgery.
• How the device works and its impact on quality of life.
• Pectus excavatum and the challenge physically, emotionally and mentally that it presents for patients.

"The most important thing about pectus is it significantly impacts people’s lives, but surgery changes people’s world,"  says Dr. Jaroszewski.

Dr. Jaroszewski — known to her patients as "Dr. J." — is one of the world’s foremost experts in pectus excavatum surgery. She has performed over 1,000 of the procedures, and has been involved in over 100 research projects and publications. She also presents internationally on her expertise.

For interviews with Dr. Jaroszewski about pectus excavatum, contact:

Name: Erin Mathe

Phone: 952.261.8148

Email: Erin@theienetwork.com

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