Four Cases of Postoperative Pneumothorax Among 2814 Consecutive Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgeries: A Possible Correlation Between Postoperative Pneumothorax and Endometriosis

Abstract

Study objectives: To evaluate the frequency of pneumothorax after laparoscopic surgery and to identify possible correlations to endometriosis.

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Tokyo University Hospital between 2006 and 2013.

Patients: Four patients among a total of 2814 patients with a postoperative pneumothorax.

Intervention: Laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic benign disease. The main outcome was the clinical frequency and characteristics of the patients with postoperative pneumothorax.

Measurements and main results: We observed 4 (0.14%) cases of postoperative pneumothorax after laparoscopic surgery, all of whom were diagnosed with endometriomas and developed a right-sided pneumothorax. The incidence of postoperative pneumothorax in 1097 patients with endometriomas was 0.36%, which was significantly higher than those without endometriomas.

Conclusion: The presence of endometrioma should be considered a risk factor for postoperative pneumothorax in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.

Keywords: Endometriosis; Laparoscopic surgery; Postoperative pneumothorax.