Pectus Excavatum by Austin Crail

Pectus excavatum is a natural deformity to the chest, which causes it to be concave. It can cause a lot of health complications and in my case it not only affected my physical endurance, but my self-image as well. This led me to one of the most life-defining experiences I have had: a surgery called the Nuss procedure.

The Nuss procedure is regarded as minimally invasive, but it is one of the most painful surgeries a child can go through. This procedure has often been likened to that of braces, but instead of taking years to work, it happens in just a few seconds. Although there were four tough years of pain while I recovered, I would go through it all again if I had to. This project focuses on the pain and clinical nature of surgery, as well as the beauty of the human body.