General Information About Diaphragmatic Paralysis
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the inability of the diaphragm, the main muscle that enables us to breathe, to contract and pull the lungs downward due to the severing or disruption of the nerve impulses sent to it.
Injury to the phrenic nerve during open-heart surgeries is the most common cause. In addition, neck/chest traumas, spinal cord injuries, viral infections, and lung tumors pressing on the nerve can lead to paralysis.
Unilateral paralysis may sometimes present no symptoms. However, in noticeable cases, a decrease in effort capacity, frequent sighing, and a feeling of suffocation (orthopnea) that increases especially when lying flat, due to abdominal organs pressing on the lungs, are observed.
If the paralysis affects both sides of the diaphragm (bilateral paralysis), the patient cannot draw in enough air using their own muscle strength and requires support from an external mechanical breathing device (ventilator).
A chest X-ray shows that one side of the diaphragm muscle remains elevated. A definitive diagnosis is made with a Fluoroscopy test, which shows whether the diaphragm moves while the patient is breathing in and out.
In mild cases, breathing exercises and sleep support devices (CPAP) are used. For patients suffering from severe shortness of breath, the Thoracic Surgery department performs an operation (Plication surgery) to pull the flaccid muscle downward and suture it tight.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
