A neonate with thoracic ectopia cordis presented following an uncomplicated delivery. A mandibular distractor was placed to bridge the sternal cleft and retracted (reverse distractor activation) over 24 days to facilitate sternal closure. Follow-up at five years postoperatively demonstrated a well-healed sternum. This novel approach to ectopia cordis repair facilitates slow, steady physiologic accommodation of the heart without hemodynamic instability or long-term complications.
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