Surgery – Miscellaneous – Methods
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-01
2001-06-05
Isabella, David J. (Department: 3738)
Surgery
Miscellaneous
Methods
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240927
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical procedure for augmenting diaphramatic function. In a healthy person the diaphragm elevates to compress the avioli and distends as the lungs fill with air during an inhalation event. Such diaphramatic function can be hindered for several reasons, including chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, spinal cord injury, diaphramatic muscle dysfunction and paralysis of the diaphragm. For example, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease is a common medical problem associated with an over inflated lung, destruction of the avioli and atrophied diaphramatic muscle. It has been estimated that more than 20 million people suffer from this condition.
Current treatments for chronic pulmonary obstruction disease are based on medical and surgical approaches. Medical approaches generally entail breathing with an inhaler while conventional surgical procedures include lung reduction. These have not improved the outcome and the latter surgical procedures are generally associated with a high incidence of failure. Therefore, the present surgical procedure is an alternate approach which relates to muscle reinforcement of a flattened and weakened diaphragm to provide improved respiration function in patients with impaired diaphramatic function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a novel surgical procedure directed to improvement of the diaphramatic muscle function. This is accomplished by myoplasty of the diaphramatic muscle and synchronous stimulation with the patient's respiration. The operation is performed as an isolated procedure or in conjunction with a lung reduction operation procedure. After anesthesia and routine preparation, the chest wall muscle is isolated. It is important to preserve the nerve supply for the isolated muscle. The chest wall muscle is brought into the plural cavity and sutured to the diaphragm. Leads from a nerve stimulator are sutured to the nerve supply of the muscle. The transplanted muscle is then stimulated in synchrony with respiration and diaphramatic motion.
The present surgical procedure benefits patients with relatively high pulmonary volume and marked atrophied diaphragm, such as those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These people lack proper diaphramatic function, which conventional medical and surgical approaches have not been entirely successful in restoring.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5301692 (1994-04-01), Knowlton
patent: 5613937 (1997-03-01), Garrison et al.
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