Medical photography: a reliable and objective method for documenting the results of reconstructive surgery of pectus excavatum.

Patients with a pectus excavatum frequently experience medical problems such as dyspnoea, fatigue and palpitations. After surgical intervention most patients are alleviated of their symptoms. Pectus excavatum can easily be diagnosed by a proper inspection of the chest. In the Atrium Medical Center photographic documentation of the deformation of the chest is part of the treatment protocol before and after surgical correction of a pectus excavatum. In addition to the normal photographic routine two special recording techniques are applied: measuring the depth of the excavation with a rule, and documenting the depth of the excavation in a 3-D grid-projection image. The applied 3-D technique (raster stereography) can also be an asset to other medical specialty areas in which changes in body shape and appearance play a major role.