Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome

The Center for Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome is the first program in the world devoted solely to treating children with thoracic insufficiency syndrome. www.chop.edu/tis
Thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS) is a complex, potentially lethal spine and chest wall condition that affects normal breathing and lung growth. Lung growth is limited by rib deformities and spinal curves. The condition worsens as a child grows and can lead to ventilator dependency or even death due to the inability to breathe.
The syndrome is most often caused by congenital spinal disorders, such as progressive scoliosis and severe rib fusion. It can also be caused by Jeune syndrome (spondylocostal dysplasia), Jarcho-Levin syndrome, cerebrocostomandibular syndrome, arthrogryposis, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spina bifida and VATER syndrome.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has been researching and treating thoracic insufficiency syndrome for more than 10 years. Thanks to advances in imaging and care pioneered by the Center for Thoracic Insufficiency (CTIS) team members, today, we can children affected by this condition something unheard of 25 years ago - a future.
The Center for Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome is led by Robert M. Campbell Jr., MD, an internationally known physician and surgeon. Dr. Campbell was the first to identify thoracic insufficiency syndrome as a disease condition that required specialized care and treatment. He invented the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR), the first FDA-approved device for the treatment of TIS. The Center is co-led by Patrick J. Cahill, MD, a nationally known expert in the treatment of complicated spinal deformity of childhood, utilizing cutting-edge treatments including Mehta casting, traditional growing rod treatment, magnet expansion control (MAGEC) surgery, VEPTR surgery, thorocoscopic anterior spine tethering, and spinal fusion.
The CTIS is the only center of its kind to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to care for children with TIS. We evaluate hundreds of children from around the world and offer complete care, from evaluation through long-term follow-up, using the latest technologies and surgeries.
Our team combines the expertise of orthopedic surgeons, pulmonologists, general surgeons and radiologists, as well as a cardiologist and neurosurgeon if needed, to evaluate patients and develop a detailed individual treatment plan for each child. Our team also collaborates closely with CHOP’s Spine Program, one of the largest multidisciplinary programs of its kind in the world.
Comprehensive evaluation includes pulmonary function tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), dynamic lung MRI, 3-D EOS imaging, genetic testing, X-ray, and CT scans of the chest and spine. Care can include everything from medical observation to implanting growing rods or VEPTRs to correct the spinal deformity and expand the child’s rib cage, which enables lung growth.
Our center is one of only a few institutions in the world to offer VEPTR treatment. The device expands a child’s chest, stabilizes spine curvatures and is lengthened with periodic outpatient expansions to keep up with the growth of the child. We perform more than 200 VEPTR procedures and other growth-sparing surgeries each year.
VEPTR surgery has revolutionized the care of children with spine disorders and restricted lung growth. The device is proven to improve the survival rate of TIS patients and can enable many children to be weaned off oxygen and full-time ventilator support.
Our long-term follow-up care involves monitoring a child’s progress and scheduling additional surgeries to expand the device to accommodate a child's growth. Depending on a child’s progress, we can perform spinal fusion to make the spine correction permanent.
Our team is engaged in research to continue improving the diagnosis and treatment of TIS patients. The Center was recently named a CHOP Frontier Program for its connection between astonishing research breakthroughs and extraordinary clinical care.

[@TheRBR_78]

My daughter was given 6 to 9 months to live, now she's 20 years old we use to flight to San Antonio Texas for her surgery. Dr. Campbell and Dr. Smith were the Doctors who did her surgery. I thank God for giving them the wisdom to know what to do with kids that have Jarcho-Levin Syndrome.

[@FLIrishmann]

I'm one of the first 30 VEPTR patients, born in '92. Grateful to Dr. Campbell, as well as Dr. Smith (not mentioned)

[@debbieschneider3052]

They are an incredible team of human beings !!!!

[@kleenex9954]

I would love to meet these kids i have always wanted to meet new people and all of them seem so nice and every opportunity that comes by them they just kick it back

[@JasonVoorhees-wn6co]

Dr Cahill is my surgeon since I was 2 or 3

[@CineFutbolByScarlos]

💜💙