Thoracoscopic Placation for Eventration of the Diaphragm

The major advantage of the thoracoscopic approach for the repair of eventration of the diaphragm is that it avoids the morbidity of a thoracotomy, including: pain, opioid analgesia, chest drainage, intensive care admission, a prolonged hospital stay, a large scar, and scoliosis. The indications for surgery include: respiratory distress, failure to wean from invasive ventilation and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), recurrent chest infections, and phrenic nerve palsy.