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Philip Starling before receiving a surgical implant |
Two Broward residents have become two of only a handful of patients worldwide to receive a surgical implant that liberates them from ventilator dependency.
The two Broward Children’s Center residents’ surgery involved the implantation of a device that delivers an electrical current to the nerves of the diaphragm; much like a pacemaker stimulates the beating of a heart. The system will eventually replace the ventilator that their paralysis makes them depend on.
Until now, Philip Starling, 23, and Ashley Hicks, 21, were unable to breathe on their own and required intensive 24-hour monitoring by medical professionals in case of infection and possible mechanical failure. Individuals who require ventilators also struggle with the social stigma that comes with being connected to an expensive, cumbersome, and noisy machine.
The residents of Broward Children’s Center received the NeuRX™ Diaphragm Pacing System implant at the Shands at the University of Florida Hospital in Gainesville.
The system consists of four electrodes implanted in the diaphragm to stimulate the muscle and affect respiration. The machine is quiet, has no tubes, and is powered by a battery pack the size of a cell phone.
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Philip Starling after receiving a surgical implant that liberates him from ventilator dependency. |
