Sudden Airway Collapse After Pneumoperitoneum With Undiagnosed Tracheomalacia in a Morbidly Obese 12-Year-Old Boy Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Case Report

We describe the case of a 12-year-old morbidly obese boy, without previous medical issues, scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Immediately after pneumoperitoneum was established, mechanical ventilation could not be performed. Intraoperative exploration with flexible bronchoscopy showed that the tip of the endotracheal tube was nearly occluded by the posterior tracheal wall bulging anteriorly. Anesthesiologists should be aware of undiagnosed tracheomalacia as a cause of sudden airway collapse, even after the airway is secured with an endotracheal tube.
Source: A&A Case Reports - Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research