Improved tolerance of radical lung surgery after contralateral diaphragmatic elevation correction in lung cancer patients: a stepwise approach

We report on a 69 years old man with an incidental finding of a suspicious mass in the left upper lobe, detected during treatment of a severe pneumonia. This patient had a known right sided idiopathic diaphragm paralysis and suffered from severe breathlessness. He was treated for endogenous depression and psychosis. Diaphragm plication was successfully performed 4 weeks before contralateral upper sleeve lobectomy in a difficult patient with comorbidities. This case illustrates a stepwise approach in restoration of adequate lung function before radical lung cancer surgery of the nonaffected side.