Video-assisted diaphragm plication in children.

BACKGROUND: Diaphragm paralysis after cardiac surgery may be secondary to phrenic nerve injury by ice, electrocautery, or dissection. Although most are asymptomatic, some patients, particularly children, have significant respiratory compromise. Video-assisted plication may offer more rapid improvement and recovery than thoracotomy in pediatric patients.

METHODS: We performed five procedures. The diaphragm was elevated, clamped, oversewn, and tacked down into the pleural gutter. The procedure was performed on 2 infants after repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, on 1 child after the Fontan procedure, on 1 child after repair of tetralogy of Fallot, and on 1 child with congenital eventration. Indications included ventilator dependency, post-Fontan protein losing enteropathy with elevated venous pressures and chronic right lower lobe collapse, persistent atelectasis with recurrent pneumonias, and asymptomatic severe eventration.

RESULTS: Ventilator-dependent patients were extubated after 2 and 3 days. The remaining patients were immediately extubated. One patient was discharged the day of surgery and 2 were discharged at 1 and 3 days postoperatively. The remaining 2 were discharged on postoperative day 30 and 45 after continued issues with feeding and prematurity. The child with the eventration had rapid expansion and growth of the left lung over the next few weeks with a normal chest radiograph 3 weeks later. The child with recurrent pneumonia reexpanded her left lower lobe and remains free of infection. There were no wound infections, lung or vascular injuries, or complications from the procedure. All the patients had successful flattening of the hemidiaphragm as documented by chest radiograph, with successful lung reexpansion.

CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted plication of paralyzed diaphragms is effective and safe, involves less morbidity, and has quicker recovery times than traditional open techniques.