Mediastinalemphysema after laparoscopic gastric banding.
From January 1996 to July 2001, 530 patients underwent a laparoscopic gastric banding operation at the University Hospital of Innsbruck. In one of these patients, a pneumomediastinum developed 17 months after surgery. Unable to swallow, the 28-year-old patient suddenly felt sick and reported left chest pain. Additionally, recurrent vomiting and later hematemesis were reported. A band migration was excluded via endoscopy. After the diagnosis of a mediastinalemphysema was established, the patient was treated conservatively. The causes of mediastinalemphysema are heterogeneous and sometimes not exactly clear. In our patient it is a question whether vomiting led to an esophageal tear, which in turn was responsible for the mediastinalemphysema.
Lanthaler
M
M
Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Weiss
H
H
Weissenboeck
E
E
Freund
M
M
Aigner
F
F
Nehoda
H
H
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*