USA Health First In Area For Implant Breathing Procedure For Quadriplegia

 In the first procedure of its kind in the area, a USA Health surgeon implanted a diaphragm pacer in the abdomen of a patient with quadriplegia, enabling the patient to breathe without a ventilator. Dr. Maryann Mbaka, a trauma and emergency general surgeon at USA Health and an assistant professor of surgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama (USA), performed the procedure. During the minimally invasive procedure, a surgeon places small electrodes—part of the NeuRX Diaphragm Pacing System—in areas near the phrenic nerves that control the diaphragm, the major muscle used in breathing. The electrodes connect to a small battery-powered device that stimulates the muscle and phrenic nerves to cause the diaphragm to contract and pull air into the lungs, mimicking the body’s natural breath cycle. The device can be used for at least four hours a day and, in many cases, continuously. Mbaka said the patient was discharged from the hospital in less than three weeks. Studies have shown that ventilator dependence significantly decreases life expectancy in patients with spinal cord injuries.