A minimally invasive technique for stabilizing the diaphragm on the thoracic wall after blunt chest trauma: the “lifting-up method”

Most traumatic diaphragmatic tears are located centrally or radially and may be amenable to repair by direct suturing or suturing with a surgical patch. However, diaphragmatic tears, such as those immediately adjacent to the costal margin, are uncommon. We describe how we repaired this type of tear using a needle loop retractor to pass a 2-0 braided suture through the chest wall on both sides of the rib to suture the torn diaphragm to the chest wall. Our technique is more physiologically and anatomically consistent than previously reported techniques. We have termed this technique the “lifting-up method”, which we believe to be an easy and useful technique for repairing traumatic diaphragmatic injuries with no seam allowance.