Most people interested in starting Vacuum Bell Therapy for Pectus Excavatum want to see Vacuum Bell before-and-after photos. In this article, you will find real case examples and photos of people who have undergone Vacuum Bell Treatment with before and after photos. Most of these Photos have been taken from studies on the effectiveness of Vacuum Bell Therapy, and include scientifically documented results.
What is the Vacuum Bell?
The Vacuum Bell is a medical device for the non-invasive treatment of Pectus Excavatum. It consists of a silicone bowl with an attached hand pump. The bowl is placed over the chest indent, and the pump is squeezed to create a pulling vacuum over the chest. The vacuum's pulling force gradually lifts the sunken chest to a normal position. The device is usually worn for at least two hours per day for 12-24 months to attain permanent results with the treatment.
Vacuum Bell Before and After Pictures
16 year old male, with symmetric cup shaped pectus; excellent flexibility; initial depth = 1.5 cm, final depth = 0.4 cm.
This patient is a 16-year-old male who completed 12 months of Vacuum Bell treatment. The photos are taken from a study done on the Vacuum Bell by Robert J. Obermeyer et al.
The above photo shows a cross-section of a patient's chest using computed tomography (CT). The change in the position of the chest is quite dramatic before and after the Vacuum Bell is applied. These images were taken from a scientific study on finding suitable patients for vacuum bell therapy.
The above patient is a 15-year-old male who used the Vacuum Bell for a total of 12 months. The patient was confirmed to have maintained a permanent result after 10 months of ceasing therapy, which is typical for patients under 18 according to studies on Vacuum Bell results. The case also highlights that results on moderate (>1.5cm) pectus excavatum can still be achieved in patients under 18 with non-invasive Vacuum Bell treatment.
This patient is a 27-year-old male who used the Vacuum Bell for 12 months. The initial depth is unmeasured but looks mild to moderate. The after depth appears to be 0cm, or completely flat. The flaring of the lower ribs in the previous example also appears fully corrected after treatment.
9-year-old boy, before (left: depth= 2.8 cm), after 10 months of treatment (right: depth= 1.6cm) and 36 months after therapy (bottom
The above photos show a 9-year old-male patient from a study on the effectiveness of Vacuum Bell Therapy by Dr Frank-Martin Haecker. This patient had moderate to severe Pectus Excavatum before treatment, at a depth of 2.8cm. The bottom picture, taken after 36 months of treatment, shows what appears to be a perfect correction, with a depth close to 0cm.
Key Takeaways
For more information about this conservative treatment, check out our in-depth guide on Vacuum Bell Therapy.
Vacuum Bell Treatment has been proven to be an effective tool for the non-surgical correction of Pectus Excavatum. Major studies on the effectiveness of the Vacuum Bell since 2005 have reported excellent outcomes, even in moderate to severe cases of Pectus Excavatum. Vacuum Bell Therapy is a useful tool for conservative treatment of Pectus Excavatum in children, and other patient groups who are not suitable, or refuse treatment by surgical methods such as MIRPE (Nuss Procedure).
