Vol. 9, Issue 3, Part B (2025)

Background: The Cross-Bar technique has emerged as a valuable modification of the minimally invasive Nuss procedure, particularly for severe or asymmetric pectus excavatum. This study reports the first Moroccan single-centre experience with this technique.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on four patients who underwent surgery between July 2023 and July 2025 at CHU Ibn Rochd, using the Cross-Bar technique. Demographic data, severity indices, surgical details, and early postoperative outcomes were collected and analyzed.
Results: Four male patients (mean age: 20.25 years) underwent successful repair using two or three Cross-Bars. The mean Haller Index was 3.87. No intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperative pain was adequately controlled, and the median hospital stay was 4.5 days. One patient developed a surgical site infection as an early complication. After a median follow-up of 15 months, all patients maintained optimal correction, with a 100% satisfaction rate reported as good to excellent by patients and families.
Conclusion: This initial Moroccan experience demonstrates that the Cross-Bar technique is feasible, safe, and effective for correcting severe and asymmetric pectus excavatum, with excellent short- to mid-term outcomes. Further multicentre studies with larger cohorts and longer follow-up are needed to validate these findings.