Life-Threatening Laryngeal Emphysema After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

LARYNGEAL EMPHYSEMA, or air surrounding the larynx, is a potentially life-threatening complication usually described in the context of an upper aerodigestive tract injury.1,2 However, in the context of elective thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary resection, upper airway compromise from laryngeal emphysema is rare, with few reported cases in the literature.3 In this setting, the mechanistic processes involved in the development and progression of laryngeal emphysema are unclear. Herein a case of a life-threatening upper airway obstruction from laryngeal emphysema after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer is presented.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Case Report Source Type: research