Nitric oxide therapy for post-laparoscopic surgery associated patent foramen ovale: incidence, mechanisms, diagnosis and therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative hypoxemia is a common clinical challenge. The diagnosis of an underlying cause of hypoxemia may not immediately be apparent. Clinically silent and non-functional intracardiac shunt may become apparent and pose significant management problems in the postoperative period. DATA SOURCE: We describe a case where clinically significant hypoxemia resulted from a patent foramen ovale (PFO) after laparoscopic surgery due to changes in the intra-abdominal and intrathoracic pressures.
CONCLUSION: This condition was effectively diagnosed by bedside echocardiography, and was effectively treated with nitric oxide.