Intraoperative pneumothorax during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a complication of prior transdiaphragmatic surgery.

Pulmonary complications of laparoscopic surgery include subcutaneous emphysema, mediastinal emphysema, hypercarbia, and pneumothorax. Pneumothorax is a rare complication that may occur in patients with diaphragmatic defects. We report a case of intraoperative left-sided pneumothorax in a patient who had undergone an esophagogastrectomy for carcinoma 16 years previously. The mechanisms for development of this complication and its management are discussed.