Phrenic nerve palsy after open heart surgery

ABSTRACT

In a retrospective study of 1130 patients underwent open cardiac surgery in Kasr El-Aini hospital, 29 [2.6%] patients developed phrenic nerve palsy. The highest incidence [9%] was in the infants below two years of age. In children 2-12 years of age, the incidence was 3.2%. In older age group, the incidence was 1.2%, left sided phrenic nerve palsy was present in 66%, and right sided palsy in 27% and 7% of patients had bilateral palsy. Ten patients needed diaphragmatic plication. All were below the age of twelve. Twelve patients were followed for a period of 3 m. Out of the nineteen nonsurgical treated patients, seven of them showed spontaneous recovery