The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that immediately following a
rare phrenic nerve surgery to repair his paralyzed diaphragm, a
47-year-old man has reported significantly improved breathing and feels
“15 years younger.” The surgery marked the second known case of
successful phrenic nerve decompression, both of which were performed by
a New Jersey medical team led by Dr. Matthew Kaufman of the Plastic
Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.
“Further, this procedure could have profound implications for
helping a wide range of patients suffering from breathing problems
caused by spinal cord injury, heart surgery, pulmonary disease, and
possibly even cases where the cause of paralysis is not clearly defined.”
In a complex procedure, Dr. Kaufman and his team performed a
microsurgical decompression of the phrenic nerve in order to restore
diaphragm function. Five years prior, the patient, Richard Thompson, Jr.
from Atlanta, Georgia, inexplicably began suffering from a paralyzed
diaphragm muscle. As a result, he experienced daily headaches from
nighttime breathing difficulties and constant shortness of breath,
limiting his ability to exercise, while also impacting his normal daily
activities.