Paralysis of the right diaphragm after laparoscopic appendectomy: A case report

Paralysis of the diaphragm is often associated with direct phrenic nerve injury during operative procedures. It is common after cardiac surgery, but it can also happen after central venous cannulation. Diaphragmatic paralysis is also described after anatomically distant surgery. Two cases have been described after uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We describe an unusual case of a 28-year-old male patient, without previous medical history, who was diagnosed with right diaphragm paralysis after an uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomy and Meckel diverticulum excision. After diagnostics at the pulmonology clinic, the exact cause of his condition was not established. His condition improved without specific treatment. After discharge from the hospital, he had follow-ups at the pulmonology outpatient clinic. According to our knowledge, this is the first such case described in English literature.