ICWS Makes Its Debut in Latin America, Offering New Solutions for Complex Chest Wall Deformities

In March 2026, Professor Wenlin Wang from ICWS made his inaugural visit to Mexico to attend the 84th Mexican National Congress of Thoracic Surgery, organized by the Sociedad Mexicana de Neumología y Cirugía de Tórax, one of the most established and influential academic events in Latin America.

As the only invited speaker from Asia, Professor Wang delivered two dedicated presentations. In his talks, he shared the groundbreaking conceptual framework that positions chest wall surgery as an independent discipline. He also introduced ICWS’s cutting-edge surgical techniques developed through years of clinical practice, including the Wang Technique, Wang procedure, Wung procedure and Wenlin procedure, which aim to provide effective and reproducible solutions for complex chest wall deformities.

Through real patient cases, the presentations demonstrated surgical strategies for challenging conditions, including barrel chest, Wenlin chest, asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, and Poland syndrome — areas where conventional procedure often faces limitations. In addition, professor Wang illustrated several complex cases of pectus excavatum (PE). Although PE is the most common chest wall deformity, some complex cases cannot be effectively addressed using conventional techniques such as the Nuss procedure. These complex cases include asymmetric PE, high-positioned PE, PE associated with cardiac conditions or following cardiac surgery. 

The sessions attracted strong interest from specialists across Latin America. Many local physicians noted that this was their first systematic exposure to a comprehensive approach to chest wall surgery. The talks prompted discussions on critical clinical issues, such as surgical indications and postoperative recovery, underscoring the increasing awareness of chest wall conditions and their management.

For a long time, global thoracic surgery has primarily focused on intrathoracic procedures, such as the treatment of lung, esophageal, and mediastinal diseases. In contrast, chest wall conditions have often been under-recognized, leaving many patients without access to specialized care.

At ICWS, we have been working to change that.

The presentations highlighted the significance of chest wall deformities and generated strong interest in acquiring further knowledge and practical skills. Through these exchanges, ICWS aims to inspire more physicians to explore chest wall surgery, helping to bring specialized care to more patients around the world.