ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical outcomes of diaphragm plication for the treatment of diaphragmatic paralysis (DP) in infants after surgical correction for congenital heart diseases. MethodsClinical data of 13 infants who had DP after surgical correction for congenital heart diseases from December 2009 to December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 5 male and 8 female patients with their age of 35 days-11 months (6.6±3.2 months) and body weight of 3.5-9.6 (6.2±1.8) kg. Diaphragm plication was performed 19.08±4.29 days after open heart surgery. All the patients were not able to wean from mechanical ventilation,or were repeatedly reintubated because of severe respiratory failure after extubation. All the 13 patients received diaphragm plication for singleor double-sided DP. ResultsTwo patients had ventilator associated pneumonia (15.4%) including 1 patient with positive sputum cultures for Acinetobacter baumannii but negative blood culture. Another patient who had double-sided DP after surgical correction for tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia underwent double-sided diaphragm plication and later died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome,whose sputum and blood cultures were both positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the 11th day after double-sided diaphragm plication. Chest X-ray of all the patients showed plicated diaphragm in normal position after diaphragm plication. The average time from diaphragm plication to extubation was 5.38±3.09 days. After diaphragm plication,arterial partial pressures of oxygen (PaO2) significantly increased (90.22±8.47 mm Hg vs. 80.69±6.72 mm Hg,P<0.05) and arterial partial pressures of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) significantly decreased (39.87±6.31 mm Hg vs. 56.38±7.19 mm Hg,P<0.05). Twelve patients were followed up for 24 months after discharge. During follow-up,1 patient who received double-sided diaphragm plication had 2 episodes of pneumonia within 6 months after discharge. Respiratory function of all the other patients was normal. All the patients were in NYHA class Ⅰ-Ⅱ. ConclusionDiaphragm plication is a safe,easy and effective treatment to increase survival rate and decrease the incidence of hospital-acquired infection for infants who have DP and are unable to wean from mechanical ventilation after surgical correction for congenital heart diseases.