Isolated traumatic phrenic nerve injury treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragmatic plication—a case report

Isolated traumatic phrenic nerve injury resulting from a stab wound to the neck is very rare. Herein, we report the case of a patient who was accidentally stabbed with garden shears that pierced her neck and penetrated the spinal canal. She sustained a right phrenic nerve injury complicated by diaphragm palsy and subsequent respiratory distress. We successfully treated the patient with video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication.