My chest deformity! (Pectus Carinatum) (PICS)

[Olliee13]

I've read loads of real old threads on Pectus Carinatum / Excavatum. None are that informative or have pictures. So I'm aiming to inform anyone with a pectus deformity what body building can or cannot do for you. Of course every case is unique and my experiences are NOT conclusive. I just hope this thread just gives you a better understanding.

For those of you who don't know what Pectus Carinatum is it's where either one or both the rib cages protrude outwards. Commonly causes flared ribs which gives a pot belly effect. Some people will flared ribs find it impossible to get a 6 pack. Others can struggle a 4 pack and some are more fortunate and can gain a faint 6 pack.

To save a long and probably boring story. I'll write my account in Cliffs:

- Have had Pectus Carinatum (PE) for as long as he can remember.
- Made me very self concious of my body - constantly on my mind as a child and still to this day I think about it frequently through the day.
- Consulted a Pectus specialist when I was 11 or 12 - got informed only surgery could rectify.
- Disregarded surgery as at the time didn't like the thought of it.
- At 20 I got inspired by Zyzz (rip) and decided to get shredded as fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaarkk1!!!1
- Truly believed that developing my chest would hide the deformity leaving me with a great looking normal chest.
- Have had Osteopathic treatment from two Osteopaths and on both cases they knew phuck all about the condition and continued to drain my money for pointless massage treatment. (Spent over £400 on treatment)
- 8 Months into my training I have concluded that in my case; Developing my chest will not hide the deformity and if anything - will only make it look worse.
- Done a lot of research recently on PC / PE (Discovered that brace techniques when used before or during teenage years give great results)

^^ Phuck you pectus specialist

-I am now strongly feeling that I want to pursue corrective surgery. Have an appointment with my GP on Monday where I'm going to ask to be referred to the right department to pursue surgery.
-Gym is my life now and the thought of not being able to achieve what I want is demoralising. I would lap hell 100x to rectify what I have. Sounds very vain but the scope of the problem is not based just on what you can see but also the way I feel. First and last thing I look at in the mirror, constantly on my mind, can often take me what seems hours to get to sleep because it's uncomfortable (imagine trying to sleep on your side and realising your chest is in a V shape on its side).
-Problem also hinders me heavily with breathing - When I was young I thought it was asthma but my research and awareness of my own body has given me an understanding that PE / PC can hinder breathing.

A little bit about surgery:
-Read many accounts of people who have had surgery.
-All accounts are positive and do not regret.
-Full recovery of doing contact sport can take 6 months +
-One dude was back at his school within two weeks.
-The procedure for PC is very invasive unfortunately. The ribs are broken where they connect either side of the torso, the sternum is then flattened and then the ribs are clamped together. PE has a less invasive surgery procedure where a metal brace is placed underneath the sunken area.

Taken after a month of lifting:


Taken today:





Taken today:




8 Months ago before I started lifting:






My recent progress pictures - Yes you can barely notice it from these pictures - But if only you knew how many attempts it took to get the best posture for it not to show so much.

[Olliee13]

I'm uploading more as we speak. Here's another taken today.





This angle shows how my top abs sit on top of my rib cage giving them a weird shape as they come down.

[p90xswass]

that sucks/10 i have pectus excavatum, not as unfortunate but still would rather have it be normal!

[snizzle77]

nice improvements between those pictures!

great job

[GGekko]

It might be easy for me to say, but it could be a lot worse. Is it a matter of it growing slowly or not growing at all? Have you tried doing chest exercises only for your right pec?

[Olliee13]

that sucks/10 i have pectus excavatum, not as unfortunate but still would rather have it be normal!

I completely understand the feeling brah. Have you researched / considered surgery?

[Odyssey92]

good luck with the surgery brah, keep us updated.

[Goooozes]

sorry to hear that. however, i dont think surgery would be the best option for you. it really does not look that bad man. if you showed me all of those pics i would not even be able to tell that you had any kind of deformity. it sounds like a terribly invasive surgery. i would only go for surgery if i had an extremely horrible case of pc or pe. i dont think your case warrants surgery. however, do what you think is best for you. good luck.

[Olliee13]

It might be easy for me to say, but it could be a lot worse. Is it a matter of it growing slowly or not growing at all? Have you tried doing chest exercises only for your right pec?

I completely agree brah - it could be a lot worse. I do appreciate what I have but can't help but wish to rectify this. No I haven't because my right arm would surely be out of proportion to my left? I have considered purely training my left arm on arms day and training my right peck twice. I just feel I can rest once It's been completely rectified ... Now I know the option is there, I just need to pursue it and convince any specialist how it effects me.

[Olliee13]

good luck with the surgery brah, keep us updated.

Thanks brah. It's not a definite as I have to see if the NHS will allow me it. Fingers crossed though.

sorry to hear that. however, i dont think surgery would be the best option for you. it really does not look that bad man. if you showed me all of those pics i would not even be able to tell that you had any kind of deformity. it sounds like a terribly invasive surgery. i would only go for surgery if i had an extremely horrible case of pc or pe. i dont think your case warrants surgery. however, do what you think is best for you. good luck.

Yeah I hear what you saying I really do. All my family say it doesn't look that bad. It's worse living with it - changes my whole posture and even the way I walk. If I had the surgery after a year I would be able to start training again and build that perfect chest I dream of. Thanks for your best wishes brah

[Woodyy]

Good luck mate.

You seriously 100x better since before you started lifting though.

[Olliee13]

Good luck mate.

You seriously 100x better since before you started lifting though.

Thanks brah.

[Buegie]

I had the PE surgery when I was 14, still pretty invasive/painful, mine was much worse than yours though...good luck brah

[Lowgz]

Got the same thing as OP, seems to be less common than PE,

bottom of my sternum used to stick out like crazy, through shirts I would wear, people used to tell me I had a 'horn' etc.

Started training, it has improved it, looks like by top two abs now, although its slightly less wide than the rest so it gives them a weird shape.
I'm just angry that because its constantly sticking out my center lower chest doesnt look as impressive as it could, itstead of dropping away to a flat ripped stomach it kinda molds to my abs... The ribs have become far less of an issue now though, even sitting at sub 10% bodyfat

[KyleSty1e]

Looking great bro. I'd just pack on a bit more size, a slow cut and you'll look aesthetic as fuk.

keep it up brah

[Mark2K8]

Lol @ calling that a deformity. Some people on this forum seriously need a taste of real tea

OP you look good no homo. friend has the same thing and he also whines about it. i honestly wouldn't have noticed/said anything until he pointed it out and started making it a big deal

[Olliee13]

I had the PE surgery when I was 14, still pretty invasive/painful, mine was much worse than yours though...good luck brah

Thanks brah. How do you find it now with regards to gym? Did the national health fund it for you? Yeah I heard it's painful - but it'll be worth it.

Got the same thing as OP, seems to be less common than PE,

bottom of my sternum used to stick out like crazy, through shirts I would wear, people used to tell me I had a 'horn' etc.

Started training, it has improved it, looks like by top two abs now, although its slightly less wide than the rest so it gives them a weird shape.
I'm just angry that because its constantly sticking out my center lower chest doesnt look as impressive as it could, itstead of dropping away to a flat ripped stomach it kinda molds to my abs... The ribs have become far less of an issue now though, even sitting at sub 10% bodyfat

Brah I understand. My sternum does exactly the same. My top two abs sit on top of it where it comes outwards (I'm uploading a side view picture where you can see my abs look phucked up) What you say about your chest.. That's exactly how I feel. Busting my gut on what would be a chest that meets in the middle is demoralising when your ribs are sticking out through the middle of it. Have you considered surgery?

[cornwallus]

I have carinatum too, I've been morbid obese all my life so when I lost 200 pounds it was a nasty surprise, mines a lot worse than yours bro,I would be content if I had yours, surgery seems to extreme

[Olliee13]

Lol @ calling that a deformity. Some people on this forum seriously need a taste of real tea

OP you look good no homo. friend has the same thing and he also whines about it. i honestly wouldn't have noticed/said anything until he pointed it out and started making it a big deal

Brah you are in no position to say what it is and what it's not. You're judging the problem based on what you see - what your eyes see are minimal to how large the problem is. I don't expect you to understand if you can't appreciate how other people might feel.

[Olliee13]

I have carinatum too, I've been morbid obese all my life so when I lost 200 pounds it was a nasty surprise, mines a lot worse than yours bro,I would be content if I had yours, surgery seems to extreme

You're probably right. But I've had this as long as I can remember and know being content isn't something I'm able to do. Especially when I know there's alternatives.

[BadumTish]

I got PC as well... Same story as yours;

-Notice it around 13 years old
-Go see a "specialist"
-Specialist is some Indian dude (no racist) who says nothing can be done and we need to wait until I stop growing.
-2 years later do some research and discover the braces and that the best time to use them IS when you are still growing. Yes mad.
-Now the only way to correct it is surgery.

I have seen others doctors and got x-rays to make sure none of my organs are getting squished, which they arent, so its purely cosmetical for me. Still annoys the hell out of me. When I am standing it doesn't look THAT bad, but if I lay down its quite noticeable...

Sucks so much. Everyone I have seen has said surgery is not worth it for me, but phuck em. Easy for them to say when they dont have it. :/

Feel you brah.

[Zachary533]

I think I may have something like this, although i never thought so until reading this thread.

My rib cage sticks out from my chest like a pigeon beak, its not too noticeable but when i do my front relax pose it sticks out as well (also hurts to do movements like seated chins on hammer machine because of pressure, etc)

Is it the same issue?

[PostMoves]

p.e. checking in. not having surgery since it doesn't affect me physically. mentally it ****s with me a ton, especially with girls.

brb scared to play pick up basketball, shirts vs skins

[Lowgz]

Brah I understand. My sternum does exactly the same. My top two abs sit on top of it where it comes outwards (I'm uploading a side view picture where you can see my abs look phucked up) What you say about your chest.. That's exactly how I feel. Busting my gut on what would be a chest that meets in the middle is demoralising when your ribs are sticking out through the middle of it. Have you considered surgery?

I had in the past, but I've just kinda accepted it now, while I'll never look as good as I could without it, the cost (in my country) and downtime just doesn't justify it. Working out has definitely improved it, but it's still obviously there, I won't feel very confident in public with my shirt off but I can myspace angle my pics to make it fairly unrecognisable lol.

Best of luck to you OP. I know that feel

[KRANE]

It might be easy for me to say, but it could be a lot worse.

Exactly. You have to stand a certain way to even notice it. Thats not even anything to write home about. An easy fix via the right exercise.

[Wangsta]

I think I've got the same thing brah.

brb chest never looks defined, just gets "big"
brb top abs stick out further than chest
brb perpetual four pack but never a six pack

feelsbadman

[RagingS2090]

I nearly got sick at your before body.. no joke, good work, good improvements, good luck with the surgery bro

[cornwallus]

You're probably right. But I've had this as long as I can remember and know being content isn't something I'm able to do. Especially when I know there's alternatives.

What I mean mate, is I have a photo here where mine is sticking out so much, I was hitting it with weights it would be so pronunced, I would kill for your progress with it.

even now my sternum is a hook, Beleive me I know it sucks hard, but surgery is serious business.

[jonB89]

I know that feel all too well brother. It's the whole reason why I started lifting.

Now days it doesn't really bother me too much. I've accepted that it's the way I am and to just live with it. Plus the bigger my chest gets the less noticeable it becomes.

[Olliee13]

I had in the past, but I've just kinda accepted it now, while I'll never look as good as I could without it, the cost (in my country) and downtime just doesn't justify it. Working out has definitely improved it, but it's still obviously there, I won't feel very confident in public with my shirt off but I can myspace angle my pics to make it fairly unrecognisable lol.

Best of luck to you OP. I know that feel

If you was in my position. What would you do? And brah.. If you have any good sources of how much it is to get done privately. Please message me.