Man born with sunken chest cavity stuns doctors by draining infected implant HIMSELF

August 19, 2016

Brandon, from Iowa, was born with pectus excavatum which meant his chest appeared to be caving in
It went undiagnosed for years but when he was 19 he had an implant fitted that after 15 years started causing problems
When Brandon noticed there was fluid developing around the implant he drained it himself with syringes he bought online
Appearing on E! show Botched By Nature, he shocked doctors who successfully removed the implant and lifted his chest

Miranda Bryant For Dailymail.com

Published:
18:18 EST, 18 August 2016

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Updated:
18:36 EST, 18 August 2016

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A man who was born with a sunken chest said he was ‘worried for my life’ after he regularly drained his infected implant himself with a syringe that he bought online.

Brandon, whose surname is unknown, had pectus excavatum – a deformed rib cage that makes the chest sink in or cave – but it went undiagnosed until he was 19.

He had an implant fitted but 16 years on, the father from Iowa admitted to doctors on Wednesday’s episode of E! show Botched By Nature that fluid had started developing around the implant.

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Help: Brandon, whose surname is unknown, appeared on Botched By Nature with his pectus excavatum, a sunken chest, pictured left before treatment and right afterwards

Scared: Brandon, from Iowa, pictured, was born with the condition but feared for his life after an implant he had fitted when he was 19 started developing fluid around it

DIY: Rather than seeking medical attention, Brandon, pictured left before treatment and right after, treated himself using syringes he bought online to drain the fluid

Complications: Brandon, pictured in the operating theater, went undiagnosed for years but when he was 19 he had an implant fitted that after 15 years started causing problems

For the last year he had been ordering syringes online to drain it himself without medical supervision.

He said the problem was so frightening that he admitted: ‘I’m worried for my life.’

Doctors Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow were shocked by Brandon’s DIY treatment and when they went to drain the implant they found there was an infection which they claimed was ‘a major disaster waiting to happen.’

They brought in pectus excavatum expert Dr Barry Losasso and planned to do his operation in two parts – first removing the implant and then waiting to get the all-clear before performing the Nuss procedure, using metal bars to help lift the chest.

‘I’ve brought in Dr. Losasso because I want him to see exactly what the deformity is like,’ Dr. Dubrow said.

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Astounded: Brandon, pictured left before treatment and right after, shocked doctors on Botched By Nature when he told them what he had been doing in attempt to treat himself

Double surgery: The father, pictured left as a child and right recently, was operated on in two stages

Results: Doctors, pictured examining Brandon, successfully removed the implant and lifted his chest

‘This is very important information he will need in order to give Brandon a good outcome.’

Dr Dubrow successfully removed the implant and the capsule surrounding it before sending his chest fluid to pathology for analysis.

After they were given the go-ahead a few months later, Dr Dubrow successfully performed the second stage of the operation to lift Brandon’s chest.

Dr Losasso told Brandon: ‘Now we’re going to put your chest wall in its proper relationship with your heart, to get the best result we want to lift the deepest part of the deformity up off the heart.’

Two months later, he proudly showed the results to his wife, baby daughter and friends who are impressed with the outcome.

Threat: Doctors said Brandon’s issue was ‘a major disaster waiting to happen’

Exposed: Brandon, pictured showing off his new chest, was delighted with the results

Impressed: His wife, pictured smiling with their baby daughter, was amazed by the end result

Brandon’s chest appeared normal with no sign of caving or swelling.

He said the condition has plagued him since he was eight years old when he first noticed it and that he was relieved that he had not had complications with his heart and lungs.

‘It was really important to me to have this corrected now so that I don’t have to worry about later on being around for my daughter,’ he said.

Vowing never to treat himself again, Brandon said: ‘Now that I’ve had the implant removed and my chest wall pushed out I feel like I can finally be the active dad that I want to be.

‘And don’t worry Dr Dubrow, I’ll never practice medicine on myself again.’