[A case of pneumothorax during laparoscopic surgery due to latent diaphragmatic defect]

A 38-year-old male healthy donor for renal transplantation was scheduled to undergo laparoscopic nephrectomy of the left kidney. After commencement of the surgery under general anesthesia, his vital signs were stable. When pneumoperitoneum was commenced using CO2, a rapid increase in the airway pressure was observed, and it became difficult to perform mechanical ventilation. After manual ventilation was initiated, the cause of the increased airway pressure was investigated. As a result, a defective pore, 3 cm in diameter, was confirmed in the left diaphragm and it was determined that pneumothorax developed from the pure CO2. A transient decrease in oxygen saturation was easily restored by manual ventilation. The blood pressure was relatively stable, and tension pneumothorax was not observed. For the defective pore in the diaphragm, endoscopic cerclage of the diaphragm was performed after insertion of a thoracostomy tube. Postoperative chest X-ray showed no signs of atelectasis, mediastinal emphysema, or aerodermectasia, suggesting the development of pneumothorax due to pure CO2. In this case, the defective pore in the diaphragm was caused accidentally by pneumoperitoneum, although the subject had had no prior symptoms. Latent diaphragmatic defect may be an important factor in pneumoperitoneum and other surgical procedures.