Bilateral tension pneumothorax and pneumoperitonium during laser pediatric bronchoscopy--case report and literature review

We describe a case of a fifteen month old girl with a previous history of partially repaired congenital heart disease, presented for diagnostic bronchscopic evaluation of mid-tracheal narrowing. Intraoperatively, the surgical team decided to perform a transbronchoscopic laser resection of a granulation tissue over the previously placed airway stent. After repeated airway manipulations, the patient developed intraoperative bilateral tension pneumothoracis as well as tension pneumoperitonium. These complications were recognized, diagnosed and promptly treated and patient made full recovery. This paper presents a case details, reviews the literature about these life threatening complications and suggests ways to prevent poor outcomes.