Phrenic Nerve Pacemaker for long term ventilation

In comparison with conventional ventilators, size and portability remain the main advantage of this system. It is particularly useful for younger patients with medical problems such as high cervical spinal cord injuries, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, primary alveolar hypoventilation, certain forms of brainstem stroke, head injuries and brain tumors.

Despite having many advantages, this product is only effective on patients with intact phrenic nerve function. As such, proper evaluation of phrenic nerve function is imperative before surgical implantation of electrodes. Though the surgery can be performed at very reasonable charges, the actual product is costly and may be accessible to only a handful of patients. Nevertheless, the manufacturer estimates a full return on investment within a period of 4 years, when compared to the use of conventional ventilators.

Surgical placement of electrodes can either be done by the cervical or thoracic approach, depending on the individual Surgeon’s preference. The surgery itself is rather straight forward with most patients being discharges 2 days after the procedure. Initiation of pacemaker use is usually commenced about 6 weeks after surgery, allowing sufficient time for any edema surrounding the phrenic nerves to subside.