Anesthetic Considerations for Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in a Patient With Previous Pneumonectomy

Patients presenting for surgery after pneumonectomy pose significant challenges to anesthesiologists. The disease process necessitating pneumonectomy may involve the surviving lung too. Cholecystectomy is a major surgery, and the open approach has significant risks of post-operative pulmonary complications in these patients partly owing to the large incision and postoperative atelectasis, associated with inadequate post-operative analgesia. Contemplating a laparoscopic procedure in patients with a single, possibly damaged lung, involves a good understanding of the physiology of the single lung as well as the challenges posed by capnoperitoneum. Here, we present a case of a female with a history of previous pneumonectomy undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There are very few reports of patients after pneumonectomy who have subsequently undergone a laparoscopic cholecystectomy successfully and this report highlights some crucial factors to be kept in mind during anesthetic management of such patients.