TURK GOGUS KALP DAMAR CERRAHISI DERGISI-TURKISH JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY, vol.22, no.2, pp.439-442, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
Diaphragmatic pace stimulating system (DPSS) through laparoscopic surgery technique was applied to a patient with cervical spinal cord injury for the first time in Turkey to investigate the efficacy of DPSS. The patient used DPSS together with mechanical ventilator beginning from the postoperative second week. She could be weaned from mechanical ventilator for three hours without the need for oxygen support on postoperative second month and for four hours on postoperative third month. The patient had improved fatigue tolerance, sense of smell, speech, quality of sleep, and mental state. In conclusion, our study results show that DPSS, which can be done safely with laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia, may improve respiratory state and other wellness of such patients and have positive effects on health-related quality of life, thus, DPSS application should become widespread among tetraplegic patients with spinal cord injury.