Pectus Matters has created a post-op pack to support patients following pectus surgery.
Our Support Pack
About
Pectus surgery is major surgery. Undergoing a major operation can be very painful and could cause patients to be out of action for several weeks or months. Complex surgery can cause complications which might make your recovery take longer or cause you to need further medical attention. Our 2025 survey and early feedback from the RESTORE trial, show that readmission rates and instances of complications after pectus surgery are higher than normal.
Only a few specialist clinics in the UK offer pectus surgery, meaning many patients travel a long way from home to get treatment. This means that after returning home from their operation, patients can be isolated from the team that treated them. If patients then experience acute symptoms or complications, they may worry about having to engage with their local NHS trust which may have no knowledge of pectus conditions, surgery or the complications that might result.
Not all hospitals provide their patients with the same level of support post-operatively. This can sometimes leave patients feeling like they have unanswered questions about their recovery.
We hope that this collection of resources will make patients feel more supported during their recovery and provide them with a greater level of assurance in the unlikely event that they experience acute symptoms or complications.
What’s included?
Our post op support pack includes a number of resources for patients as they recover from pectus surgery:
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Physiotherapy advice
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CPR guidance
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List of Early Warning Signs
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Medical ID bracelet
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One-year membership to MedicAlert
MedicAlert has a 24/7 emergency helpline, making your vital health information available to first responders and health professionals in an emergency; For pectus patients, this provides a level of assurance, especially to those living a long distance from a specialist pectus clinic whose local NHS may have a limited understand of such a specialist surgery.
All these resources have been created by medical professionals, answering commonly asked questions and addressing concerns that might arise post pectus surgery.
Eligibility
In order to receive the post-op pack, you must be a UK resident.
We are asking that those applying for the post-op pack become a Friend of Pectus Matters for £5 a month. It is only because of the generosity of donors that we have been able to offer the post-op pack to pectus patients. By becoming a Friend of Pectus Matters, you are making a commitment to support pectus patients and helping us advocate for best care and practice in the UK. For as little as the cost of a cup of coffee, each month, you can help us continue to fund initiatives like this for future patients.
You can become a Friend of Pectus Matters here
As pectus surgery is performed on children and adults, there is no age restriction on the post-op pack. If the intended recipient of the post-op pack is under the age of 16, a parent or guardian must apply on their behalf.
How to Apply
To apply to receive our post-op support pack, please complete the application form found here:
Post-op support pack – Fill in form
It could take up to 5 working days for Pectus Matters to consider your application.
You will receive an email in response to your application from info@pectusmatters.co.uk
Receiving your
post-op pack
For those eligible, you will receive an email from the Pectus Matters team containing the three resource documents, your referral letter, and a link to the application form for MedicAlert. You will need to upload the referral form to your application for verification purposes.
MedicAlert will review your application and contact you via email with instructions on how to create your MedicAlert record. You will receive a code to be applied at checkout. This code entitles you to your first year of MedicAlert membership for free and £25.99 towards an ID of your choice.
As part of creating a MedicAlert membership, you may be asked to upload additional information or documents about your pectus surgery or medical history.
Personal Data
We will collect your personal data as part of this application. This will be stored by Pectus Matters. Basic information will be shared with MedicAlert as part of the referral process; this includes name, date of birth, email address and UK home address.