MOBILE, Ala. – In the first procedure of its kind in the area, a USA Health surgeon has implanted a diaphragm pacer in the abdomen of a patient with quadriplegia, enabling the patient to breathe without a ventilator.

Maryann Mbaka, M.D., FACS, a trauma and emergency general surgeon at USA Health and an assistant professor of surgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, performed the procedure Nov. 7 at USA Health University Hospital.

“The goal with this procedure is to liberate patients with spinal cord injuries from mechanical ventilation as soon as possible,” Mbaka said. “This gives them a better chance for recovery and an improved quality of life, which is great news for patients.”

During the minimally invasive procedure, a surgeon places small electrodes – part of the NeuRX Diaphragm Pacing System – in areas near the phrenic nerves that control the diaphragm, the major muscle used in breathing.

The electrodes connect to a small battery-powered device that stimulates the muscle and phrenic nerves to cause the diaphragm to contract and pull air into the lungs, mimicking the body’s natural breath cycle. By contrast, a ventilator uses forced air to help a patient breathe. The NeuRX DPS device can be used for at least four hours a day, and, in many cases, continuously.

“I am so thankful that Dr. Mbaka works at USA Health. Her forward thinking and excellent surgical skills allow us to offer the most leading-edge technology and operations for our patients,” said Jon D. Simmons, M.D., FACS, chief of trauma, acute care surgery and burn at USA Health. “The placement of the first diaphragmatic pacer in our region is a perfect example of the impact an academic healthcare system can have on our community.”

Mbaka said the patient was discharged from the hospital in less than three weeks. “This is a major milestone given that quadriplegic patients typically would be in the ICU for months or, in most cases, could never be liberated from the ventilator,” she said.

Studies have shown that ventilator dependence significantly decreases life expectancy in patients with spinal cord injuries. “Being freed from a ventilator reduces the risk of pressure injuries and infections,” Mbaka said. “It also allows for earlier physical rehab, which results in better patient outcomes.”

First implanted during a prospective clinical investigation in 2000, the NeuRX DPS has been used in more than 2,500 patients worldwide. The late actor Christopher Reeve was one of the first recipients. The FDA granted premarket approval for patients with spinal cord injuries in 2023, enabling the device to be more widely available.