phrenic nerve paralysis

[Lexu7]

My son has right phrenic nerve paralysis as a result of thymoma surgery a month ago.  The tumor was wrapped around both the right phrenic nerve and the recurrent laryngeal nerve;  the surgeon had to "skeletonize" (remove tumor from) the nerves   As a result, there is nerve damage; the diaphagm is not working correctly and his lung is not expanding completely.  (Voice is also weak.)  This is also the lung that the tumor had invaded; a small slice of the lung was removed---the borders were clean.  He was advised to exercise to the point of "huffing and puffing" to get the lung to fill.  He has developed a slight cough in the last few days.  When the lung doesn't fill, doesn't that make him susceptible to pneumonia?  He had several bouts of bronchitis and near pneumonia all winter/spring before the thymoma was discovered and this new development concerns me.  He is 44.  


This discussion is related to right hemidaphragm paralysis after surgery.