Phrenic nerve injury following scalenectomy in a patient with thoracic outlet obstruction.

We present a case in which a patient with normal pulmonary reserve experienced orthopnea and hypoxia secondary to unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis following right scalenectomy. This operation was performed in an attempt to relieve neurovascular compromise at the thoracic outlet. To our knowledge, this association has not been previously described in the literature.