Phrenic nerve neurorrhaphy with a sural nerve graft in unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis

Abstract

Unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis can present following damage or impairment to a phrenic nerve. In cases where current treatment methods are not feasible, the use of a double phrenic nerve neurorrhaphy with an autologous sural nerve graft should be investigated. In preserved rats, the feasibility of this technique was explored. The sural nerve was excised from the left thigh. Entering into the thoracic cavity bilaterally through the fifth intercostal spaces, the right and left phrenic nerves were identified. The right phrenic nerve was cut to create a distal nerve stump. The sural nerve was grafted onto the distal stump of the right phrenic nerve and the side of the left phrenic nerve. Using six preserved rat cadavers, the end-to-side graft was successfully explored and performed. It was determined that approximately 2.5–3 cm of the sural nerve will be required to be harvested for the graft. The sural nerve was an appropriate size for grafting onto the phrenic nerves. Four 10–0 Nylon sutures were sufficient for each neurorrhaphy. A double phrenic nerve neurorrhaphy with an autologous sural nerve graft is potentially feasible in rat models.