Pectus excavatum minimally invasive surgery currently comes in two varieties. The first resembles a variation of the traditional Nuss procedure, which involves making a small incision under the patient's armpit and inserting a pre-shaped trapezoidal steel plate through this small hole to the back of the depressed breastbone. The steel plate is then flipped to push out the depression. Because it requires only a one to two centimeter incision on the patient, it is considered much less invasive compared to the traditional Nuss procedure which requires two incisions. There is also another type of minimally invasive surgery which involves bilateral incisions but does not require flipping the steel plate, thus avoiding damage associated with flipping and muscle disruption between the ribs. This is also considered a current minimally invasive surgical technique. Additionally, there is the recent Wang procedure, which is also minimally invasive, requiring only one incision and not necessitating access behind the breastbone. However, it is generally suitable only for younger patients with softer breastbones. For older adults, the Wang procedure might not be appropriate and further observation is required.