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Published on: June 25, 2013
Death during laparoscopy: can 1 gas push out another? Danger of argon electrocoagulation
Alain Sezeur1, Christian Partensky, Jacques Chipponi
1Service de Chirurgie Digestive, Groupe Hospitalier Diaconesses-Croix Saint Simon, Hôpital Pitié-Salpétrière, APHP, Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris, France.
Abstract:
We report the death of a young man during a laparoscopic partial splenectomy performed with an argon plasma coagulator to remove a benign cyst. The report analyzes the very particular mechanism of a gas embolism, which caused death here. This analysis leads us to recommend a close attention on the use of argon coagulators during laparoscopy. The aim of this article is to draw surgeons' attention to the conclusions of a court-ordered expert assessment intended to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the death of a 20-year-old man during a laparoscopic partial splenectomy performed with an argon plasma coagulator to remove a benign cyst.
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