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Tension pneumothorax precluding laparoscopic repair of diaphragmatic hernia
D M Sternberg1, A T Petrick, F Gharagozloo
1Department of Surgery, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20007, USA.
Abstract:
Pneumothorax can result from laparoscopic procedures in the abdomen. Usually, pneumothoraxes are mild and asymptomatic and do not require conversion to an open procedure. We report a case of tension pneumothorax that developed during the course of a laparoscopic repair of a diaphragmatic hernia. In this patient, the tension pneumothorax did not respond to conventional means of therapy and required conversion to a laparotomy. A large diaphragmatic hernia with communication between the peritoneal and pleural cavities may be a contraindication to minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures.
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