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Phrenic Nerve damage and paralyzed diaphragm: Anyone else have this?
Lung Health | Last Active: Jul 10 3:56pm | Replies (198)Comment receiving replies
I was diagnosed with paralyzed left hemi-diaphragm a few months ago. But it is likely something I've had for a very long time and been able to compensate enough until recent other health issues made it harder for me to breathe. (Long story)
It didn't take long for me to feel good about plication surgery. Recent studies/analyses point to secondary health risks such as strain on heart, etc. that I'm pretty sure have been impacting my life for years. Plication surgery is an especially good option now that robotic techniques are more common. But even the VATS minimally invasive plication surgery is safer and more effective than older "open" plication techniques.
Can you share with us other options you think are worth considering? And is there a reason you are choosing Cleveland Clinic (which is definitely a top tier medical facility)? I've been looking at the University of Utah which appears to be working on becoming a top tier robotic plication surgical center.
Replies to "I was diagnosed with paralyzed left hemi-diaphragm a few months ago. But it is likely something..."
The three main ways to treat paralyzed diaphragms are plication, nerve graft, and diaphragm pacing. I don't know anything about the center at the University of Utah doing plications, which is why I would go to a center like the Diaphragm Center at Columbia Medical Center in NY, the Cleveland Clinic or the Mayo Clinic, where doctors have decades of experience doing successful plication surgeries. The Utah Center says it has 100% success rate. What does that even mean? No one died? I know there are dozens of qualified skilled thoracic surgeons around the country doing plications, and I'm sure some of them are at the University of Utah. If I had the option, though, I would go to one of the three places listed above.
As I'm sure you know, there are two main ways plication surgeries are done: a full thoracotomy where the surgeon opens your chest cavity or minimally invasive VATs surgery with robots. I asked my prospective thoracic surgeon who diagnosed my PD and specializes in minimally invasive thoracic surgery if he could guarantee he would do my plication using minimally invasive techniques, and he said he could not. He would decide once he started the operation how he would proceed depending on how well he could see. Scar tissue seems to be a big issue impacting plication surgeries. I only mention this because I think patients who want plication surgery assume they can have it done with minimally invasive techniques, where this might not be the case. It is definitely something to ask your thoracic surgeon about. Best wishes as you figure out your next steps!
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What is plication surgery?