Optical Trocar Causing Aortic Injury: A Potentially Fatal Complication of Minimal Access Surgery

Trocar injury to abdominal aorta is uncommon and even rare with optical trocars. Such injury, resulting from umbilical trocar insertion, is potentially fatal. It often causes on-table death due to torrential life-threatening haemorrhage and unavailability of expert vascular help. We present a rare case of an injury to infra-renal abdominal aorta, caused by optical trocar insertion for bariatric surgery. Immediate recognition of the injury, deployment of life-saving manoeuvres, timely resuscitation, followed by definitive repair of aorta by vascular surgeon was life-saving for this patient. The recovery phase was uneventful and patient had no residual clinical problems during follow-up.