Hospital performs ‘breakthrough’ implantationBy Lin Chih-yi / Staff reporterTri-Service General Hospital (TSGH) yesterday reported the nation’s first case of diaphragm pacing system (DPS) implantation in a woman with a high cervical spinal cord injury, saying that the procedure helped the woman come off ventilator support and begin rehabilitation. A Filipino woman named Wendy, center, and her husband, Mark, front, second left, cut a cake with Tri-Service General Hospital Department of Surgery director Huang Tsai-wang, front left, and superintendent Tsai Yi-ting, front right, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAWendy could only begin rehabilitation after removing ventilator support, so her husband, Mark, searched tirelessly for a solution, TSGH Department of Surgery director Huang Tsai-wang (黃才旺) said. Upon learning that Wendy could undergo DPS implantation in Taiwan, Mark consulted with several doctors and traveled with her to the nation, Huang said. DPS implantation is a “major breakthrough” in the field of respiratory reconstruction, Huang said.

Source: Taipei Times March 23, 2026 17:15 UTC