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Can The Phrenic Nerve Regenerate Itself?
My husband had ALIF surgery 12/31/2013-- anterior lumbar interbody fusion-- his back was operated on from the front-- C section if you will-----since then, he has been continuously short of breath and completely exhausted-- he had an EMG nerve test done today, which showed an impressive loss of phrenic nerve function to his lung function-- we have known his left side of the diaphragm no longer functions, but did not know the nerve innervation to most other areas of his lung are also now compromised. My question: is the phrenic nerve known to regenerate itself? it is now 1.5yrs past his operation and seems to be worsening--- is there anything out there that would fix a non-functioning diaphragm?
posted on
Sat, 23 May 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 19 Oct 2022
Answered on
Fri, 21 Oct 2022
Last reviewed on
Hello,
Your phrenic nerves are critical to breathing. They cause your diaphragm to become smaller or larger so your lungs can inhale and exhale air. Damage to a phrenic nerve can lead to a paralyzed diaphragm. You may experience shortness of breath and sleep problems. People who have severe damage to their phrenic nerve may need a mechanical ventilator to breathe.
Surgical options are considered if the underlying cause is treated and the patient still has symptoms, or if the patient has bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. There are various treatment options including plication and phrenic nerve stimulation. Plication is preferably performed in unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis in non-morbidly obese patients.
Phrenic nerve stimulation is performed in intact phrenic nerve without evidence of myopathy. This procedure can be performed in patients with bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis with cervical spine injuries. You can discuss the above mentioned options with your doctor.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist
Your phrenic nerves are critical to breathing. They cause your diaphragm to become smaller or larger so your lungs can inhale and exhale air. Damage to a phrenic nerve can lead to a paralyzed diaphragm. You may experience shortness of breath and sleep problems. People who have severe damage to their phrenic nerve may need a mechanical ventilator to breathe.
Surgical options are considered if the underlying cause is treated and the patient still has symptoms, or if the patient has bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. There are various treatment options including plication and phrenic nerve stimulation. Plication is preferably performed in unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis in non-morbidly obese patients.
Phrenic nerve stimulation is performed in intact phrenic nerve without evidence of myopathy. This procedure can be performed in patients with bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis with cervical spine injuries. You can discuss the above mentioned options with your doctor.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist
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