Ventilator Dependency

Treatment for Ventilator Dependency

The surgical treatment for ventilator dependency involves placing an electrode around the phrenic nerves to permit stimulation using an electronic pacemaker. The electrodes are connected to an internal receiver that receives stimulus information from an external transmitter. When a stimulating pulse is transmitted, the diaphragm contracts and produces the inhalation phase of breathing. The transmitter signal then stops causing the diaphragm to relax, resulting in the exhalation phase of breathing. Under certain circumstances, the phrenic nerves cannot be paced unless preceded by nerve transfers – connecting nearby functioning nerves to the phrenic nerve – in order to successfully cause diaphragm contraction.