Treatment for anterior flail chest with a vacuum bell.

We described a polytrauma patient with anterior chest flail caused by a climbing fall. As the situation was similar to a pectus excavatum, we tried stabilisation of the depressed chest wall by using a vacuum bell. Deep breath, peak flow, and pectus index were increased when the patient was using the vacuum bell. Conservative treatment with vacuum bell during the day and continuous positive airway pressure during the night, was carried on for 6 weeks.