Surgical Treatment for Acquired Phrenic Nerve Paralysis in Infants

Abstract

Diaphragmatic paralysis due to the phrenic nerve injury occurred in 4 out of 98 closed cardiac surgical procedure. All four were less than 3 months of age, and three of them were after Blalock-Taussig shunt operation and one after pulmonary artery banding. One after Blalock-Taussig operation who did not undergo plication of the diaphragm died of severe hypoxemia. The other one after pulmonary artery banding tolerated well conservative treatment for left diaphragmatic paralysis and required more than 50 days until dismissal. Remaining two underwent surgical plication of the diaphragma in early postoperative stage and resulted in early extubation and dismissal.