Successful treatment of phrenic nerve injury with diaphragmatic plication 5 years after onset: A case report

Abstract

Diaphragmatic paralysis due to phrenic nerve injury is an occasional complication of cardiothoracic surgery. Although diaphragmatic plication is widely used to treat patients with severe irreversible symptoms, its surgical indication and timing remain controversial. Here, we present a rare case of diaphragmatic paralysis in a 65-year-old woman who underwent cardiac surgery and whose respiratory symptoms worsened despite >5 years of conservative management. Consequently, she underwent diaphragmatic plication using an endostapler to resect the redundant diaphragm, followed by over-suturing of all staple lines. She was discharged without any complications and her symptoms and chest radiography and spirometry results improved postoperatively.