Repair of agenesis of the hemidiaphragm by prosthetic materials.

Creation of a substitute hemidiaphragm for an infant born with agenesis of the hemidiaphragm is a formidable task. Subsequent growth of the infant may produce distortion or fracture of diaphragmatic prostheses. Our experience with a surviving two year old infant with agenesis led us to conclude that a Silastic prosthesis is unsatisfactory and that a polypropylene mesh prosthesis is satisfactory as a diaphragmatic substitute.