[Injuries to the diaphragm (author's transl)]

A traumatic rupture of the diaphragm is nearly always accompanied by injuries to the intrathoracic and abdominal structures. As the symptoms arising from these injured organs generally predominate, the presence of a ruptured diaphragm is apt to remain unrecognized or to be diagnosed at a very late stage. If the diagnosis is made immediately after the accident surgical repair should follow promptly; if the rupture is of long standing (traumatic hernia) surgery should preferably be performed during a symptom-free interval. An analysis of the case material showed that the left diaphragm was more often involved than the right one, an observation that tallies with the published reports. The transthoracic approach provides a clearer view of the operating area and was, therefore, chosen. The post-operative results were satisfactory; mortality rate was nil.