A dome-shaped sheet of muscle and tendon, the diaphragm literally provides the muscle when it comes to inhaling and exhaling. The diaphragm is the main muscle that controls breathing, working in tandem with your lungs and rib cage to allow oxygen to be drawn into the body and carbon dioxide to be expelled. When disease or injury impairs the diaphragm, difficulty breathing can arise.

At NorthShore, our thoracic surgery specialists have expertise in diagnosing and treating a variety of diaphragm disorders, including: