title: [Capnothorax following a diagnostic laparoscopy].
abstract: An 84-year-old woman underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy preceding a planned total gastrectomy. A bilateral pneumothorax was diagnosed postoperatively, following an uneventful procedure. The patient's clinical parameters led to the diagnosis of capnothorax, a rare complication of laparoscopic surgery. It is important to be able to differentiate between a capnothorax and a pneumothorax because the treatment is different: a capnothorax can generally be treated conservatively. The perioperative signs and symptoms, physiology and treatment of a capnothorax are discussed in this article.
authors.affiliation: Rijnstate Ziekenhuis, Arnhem.
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krijtenburg
authors.forename: Ernst Jan
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Spillenaar Bilgen
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seesink
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000209:etiology*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology