Intraoperative Capnothorax during Robotic Diaphragmatic Endometriosis Excision

Laparoscopic surgery is performed quite commonly and is known to have numerous advantages over traditional open surgery. Albeit rare, there are life-threatening complications as a result of laparoscopic surgery including those associated with the cardiopulmonary system. In our case, we present hemodynamically unstable capnothorax that occurred during robotic diaphragmatic endometriosis excision which was treated conservatively. It is critical for anesthesia providers to recognize when capnothorax occurs and to understand the implications and treatment in order to minimize unnecessary procedures and morbidity associated with such.