Phrenic nerve injuries can occur from surgery in the neck and chest, such as: coronary bypass surgery (CABG), neck dissection for head and neck cancer, surgery of the lungs, heart valve surgery, surgery of the aorta, thymus gland surgery, carotid-subclavian bypass surgery, and surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.  These injuries can cause diaphragm paralysis, resulting in chronic shortness of breath, sleep disturbances, and lower energy levels.

The physicians at the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction have pioneered world-class treatment for phrenic nerve injury in order to reverse the diaphragm paralysis.

Phrenic Nerve Injuries

Nerve decompression and nerve transplants are very successful in the treatment of arm or leg paralysis, and can restore function to a previously paralyzed muscle or group of muscles.  At the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction, in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, they have performed close to twenty phrenic nerve decompression surgeries and close to 20 phrenic nerve transplants for the treatment of phrenic nerve injuries, and have been successful at reversing diaphragm paralysis in the vast majority of those treated.

The institute has been so successful at successfully treating phrenic nerve injuries they now receive requests for treatment both nationally and internationally, and routinely have patients visiting from far away locations.  Correspondence with patients following their phrenic nerve surgery has indicated just how grateful they are to have their life back.

Patients with phrenic nerve injuries are encouraged to call and speak to a staff member or physician at the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction in NJ to discuss the circumstances of their injury and determine if they may be a candidate.

To contact the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction, please call 1-866-263-9123.

Mr. Staffin commented, “I can’t believe how significantly my comfort level and my life in general have improved from this procedure! For years, I had suffered uncontrollable pain in my lower extremities.  I sought pain management, orthopedists, and would take up to five pain killers a day, but none of it worked.  I am so pleased to have had this procedure – it changed my life!”

Triple nerve decompression surgery is an innovative procedure performed to re-establish nerve function throughout an arm or leg, in order to mitigate pain, restore feeling, and reduce the risk of amputation – commonly a result of diabetes.  It is an outpatient procedure that involves three small incisions and lasts approximately an hour and a half.  The surgery can provide immediate results including reduced pain and return of sensation. The procedure has up to an approximate 90 percent success rate in reducing pain and increasing sensation in properly selected patients and is covered by most insurance companies. 

“In addition to the surgery often providing immediate relief to the patient, postoperative discomfort is minimal, and results are long-lasting, almost never requiring a second procedure,” said Dr. Michael Rose.  “The success of this procedure and its ability to improve a patient’s quality of life are truly remarkable – especially given the conventional belief that there isn’t an existing treatment for Neuropathy.  As medical research and technological advancements further improve the field of diabetic neuropathy, ideally patients will undergo surgery before developing complications such as pain, ulcerations, and amputations.”

About The Plastic Surgery Center

Located in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, The Plastic Surgery Center’s team of doctors has more than 50 years of combined experience performing facial, skin, and body cosmetic surgery. They offer cutting edge cosmetic and reconstructive procedures and have developed a number of innovative surgical techniques offered at few other facilities in the world. The Plastic Surgery Center doctors are committed to excellence providing exceptional, personalized care in a friendly, comfortable setting using the most advanced equipment available. For further information, please visit www.advancedreconstruction.com, www.facebook.com/ThePlasticSurgeryCenter, www.twitter.com/PlasticSurgNJ.  

 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.

“We are extremely pleased with the successful outcome of this procedure, as it significantly improved Mr. Thompson’s quality of life,” said Dr. Kaufman. “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.”

Dr. Kaufman is a part of the medical team at the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction at the Plastic Surgery Center, which is comprised of a group of surgeons who are highly skilled in nerve transplantation and advanced reconstruction. They perform a number of unique operations to help patients suffering from life-altering medical conditions who are often told there are no treatment options available. Some of these conditions that the Plastic Surgery Center treats include:

1. Paralysis resulting from accidents and strokes
2. Diabetic neuropathy
3. Paralyzed diaphragm/ventilator-based breathing
4. Facial reanimation
5. Nerve decompression for migraine headaches

About The Plastic Surgery Center

Located in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, The Plastic Surgery Center’s team of doctors has more than 50 years of combined experience performing facial, skin, and body cosmetic surgery. They offer cutting edge cosmetic and reconstructive procedures and have developed a number of innovative surgical techniques offered at few other facilities in the world. The Plastic Surgery Center doctors are committed to excellence providing exceptional, personalized care in a friendly, comfortable setting using the most advanced equipment available. For further information, please visit the Plastic Surgery Center’s website at www.looknatural.com.

About Dr. Kaufman

Dr. Matthew Kaufman is a board certified Plastic Surgeon and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). He has the rather rare distinction of also achieving board certification in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which gives him the added expertise necessary to deal with complex cosmetic and reconstructive problems of the head, face and neck. Dr. Kaufman has special interests in reconstructive surgery for cranial nerve disorders, skin and head & neck cancer and vascular malformations. He practices at the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and is a Cancer Reconstruction and Microsurgery Consultant for the Head and Neck Oncology Group of Central New Jersey based at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. Dr. Kaufman is on the advisory board for FM World Charities http://www.fmworldcharities.org, a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting public health and improving the quality of life in underserved communities throughout the world.

 The surgery was performed on Mr. Edgar Freire, a constant migraine sufferer, who was not obtaining pain relief from medication.  As part of the procedure, Dr. Kaufman released muscle tissue around Mr. Freire’s supraorbital nerve (upper eyelid area) to relieve the tension causing his severe migraine pain. The surgery, called “nerve decompression,” is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure and took approximately one hour.

 “I was very pleased to hear of Edgar’s results,” said Dr. Kaufman. “As migraine headaches are often difficult to treat with medication, we are encouraged by the success of nerve decompression surgery around the peripheral trigger sites of these headaches. In fact, as recent studies have shown (as published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), the surgery has proven effective in eliminating the pain in patients suffering from chronic moderate to severe migraine headaches.”

Dr. Kaufman is part of the medical team at the Plastic Surgery Center, which is comprised of a group of surgeons who are highly skilled in nerve transplantation and advanced reconstruction. They perform a number of unique operations to help patients suffering from life-altering medical conditions who are often unaware that a treatment is available.  Some of these conditions that the Plastic Surgery Center treats include:

•  Paralysis resulting from accidents and strokes
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Paralyzed diaphragm/ventilator-based breathing
• Facial Reanimation

 About The Plastic Surgery Center

Located in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, The Plastic Surgery Center’s team of doctors has more than 50 years of combined experience performing facial, skin, and body cosmetic surgery. They offer cutting edge cosmetic and reconstructive procedures and have developed a number of innovative surgical techniques offered at few other facilities in the world. The Plastic Surgery Center doctors are committed to excellence providing exceptional, personalized care in a friendly, comfortable setting using the most advanced equipment available. For further information, please visit the Plastic Surgery Center’s website at www.looknatural.com.

For Immediate Release

NEW JERSEY SURGEON RESTORES DIAPHRAGM FUNCTION TO 43-YEAR OLD PATIENT AFTER TEN-YEARS OF BREATHING PROBLEMS

First Known Case in which Nerve Decompression Stimulates Movement in Phrenic Nerve

SHREWSBURY, NJ – June 24, 2009 –The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that Dr. Matthew Kaufman restored breathing function to a 43-year old man who suffered from paralysis in the diaphragm for over ten years.

In the first known case of its kind, Dr. Kaufman utilized a rare procedure known as phrenic nerve decompression, in which he removed scar tissue from the site of a prior injury.  By releasing pressure caused by the scar tissue, the phrenic nerve, which controls movement in the diaphragm, had the space to resume function.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this rare procedure, particularly considering that reversing paralysis from an old injury is extraordinarily unusual and this patient endured breathing paralysis for over a decade,

For Immediate Release

NEW JERSEY SURGEON RESTORES SENSATION AND FUNCTION IN ARMS AND LEGS OF 23-YEAR OLD WOMAN

Victim of Bacterial Meningitis Left Paralyzed in Extremities; Overcame 80% Chance of Death

Doctor Applied Rare Surgical Procedure to Spare Nerve Function and Artificial Skin to Heal Wounds

SHREWSBURY, NJ – June 24, 2009 –The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that Dr. Matthew Kaufman enabled a 23-year old woman to restore sensation in her feet and function in her hands, by utilizing several rare medical procedures.

Several months ago, the Freehold, New Jersey native contracted a case of bacterial meningitis for which she was admitted emergently to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. The illness caused such acute edema (swelling) that the patient was paralyzed in her arms and legs. Additionally, she suffered from severe skin wounds and lost sensation in her feet.

To restore function in the arms and feet, Dr. Kaufman performed a procedure known as nerve decompression, which alleviates pressure surrounding the nerves.  He also applied artificial skin to heal the wounds.

“We are very pleased with the patient’s progress, as she has already begun to use her hands and reports feeling in her feet,