Reinnervation of the diaphragm by the inferior laryngeal nerve to the phrenic nerve in ventilator-dependent tetraplegic patients with C3-5 damage.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of unilateral diaphragmatic reinnervation in humans by the inferior laryngeal nerve. This pilot study included chronically ventilated tetraplegic patients with destruction of phrenic nerve motoneurons. Five patients were included. They all had a high level of tetraplegia, with phrenic nerve motor neuron destruction. They were highly dependent on ventilation, without any possibility of weaning. They did not have other chronic pathologies, especially laryngeal disease. They all had diaphragmatic explorations to diagnose the destruction of the motoneurons of the phrenic nerves and nasoendoscopy to be sure that they did not have laryngeal or pharyngeal disease. Then, surgical anastomosis of the right phrenic nerve was performed with the inf

SUBMITTER: Verin E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5699880 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature