It’s often misdiagnosed, and can restrict breathing and reduce lung capacity to that of someone 30 years older, but a new procedure is now treating a debilitating condition called diaphragm paralysis.
Healthy, active, tennis club teammates Marita Dowell and Pat Schoenig suddenly began suffering the same chronic shortness of breath.
“The worst problem that I had with the breathing was that I was uncomfortable 24/7,” Pat said.
“It was completely debilitating when the breathing became an issue. I couldn’t take a deep breath, which affected everything,” Marita explained.
Both women had partial diaphragm paralysis, often resulting from shoulder surgery, as Marita had, or heart surgery. Matthew Kaufman, M.D., FACS, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Plastic Surgery Center in New Jersey, developed a new, minimally-invasive way to treat it. Dr. Kaufman reconstructs the phrenic nerve, the nerve that helps control the movement of the diaphragm. He enters the lower neck and implants another nerve taken from the leg.
Dr. Kaufman said, “the procedure is intended to restore function to a muscle that’s paralyzed. The muscle we’re talking about is the muscle of breathing.”
“It’s a miracle.” said Pat. “I can hike now, I can ride a bike, and I don’t lose my breath.” Marita detailed, “now I’m relaxed, I can do things, I can play with the kids. I can play tennis. I’m thrilled to be hitting a ball. I don’t care if I win.”
Both ladies are now breathing easier.
Dr. Kaufman said his office receives about 300 inquiries a year from people around the country with