Subcutaneous Emphysema, Hypercarbia and Increased Peak Inspiratory Airway Pressure during Endoscopic Thyroidectomy : A case report

Yi, Jae Woo; Lee, Bong Jae

Case Report

Anesthetic Pharmacology

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 2006;1(2):88-91.
Published online October 30, 2006.

Subcutaneous Emphysema, Hypercarbia and Increased Peak Inspiratory Airway Pressure during Endoscopic Thyroidectomy : A case report

Jae Woo Yi, Bong Jae Lee

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, East-West Neo Medical Center, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea. mdyjw@medigate.net

Abstract

Endoscopic thyroidectomy has been increasingly used because it is minimally invasive, provides better cosmetic results as well as less, post-operative pain. However, the technique is associated with complications that, include subcutaneous emphysema, hypercarbia and pneumothorax. We treated a 45 year-old female patient who had subcutaneous emphysema, hypercarbia and increased peak inspiratory airway pressure due to carbon dioxide administered during the endoscopic thyroidectomy. After the above problems occurred, we increased the minute ventilation with 100% O2. The operation was over after about one hundred twenty minutes and ventilation was adequate so that arterial blood gas findings returned to the normal range in the recovery room. The patient was treated conservatively with oxygen and recovered completely at the time of discharge from the Hospital

Key Words: endoscopic thyroidectomy, hypercarbia, peak inspiratory airway pressure, subcutaneous emphysema