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Fatal pulmonary thromboembolism after laparoscopic cholecystectomy
C Abad1, J J Cáceres, A Alonso
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, c/ Barranco de la Ballena s/n, 35020 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Abstract:
A 67-year-old woman presented with severe cardiopulmonary insufficiency 17 days after an uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Pulmonary thromboembolism was demonstrated by transthoracic echocardiogram and later confirmed at surgery. With the aid of a cardiopulmonary bypass, a thrombectomy of the right atrium and the pulmonary artery was accomplished. The patient could not be weaned off cardiopulmonary bypass and ultimately died. We therefore recommend antithromboembolism therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin in selected cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.