Bilateral tension pneumothoraces and subcutaneous emphysema following colonoscopic polypectomy: a case report and discussion of anesthesia considerations

A 78-year-old man presented preoperatively with severe abdominal pain, dyspnea, and subcutaneous emphysema in his face, neck, and chest approximately 8 hours after colonoscopy with a sigmoid polypectomy. A pneumoperitoneum, free air in the mesentery, pneumoretroperitoneum, pneumomediastinum, and bilateral pneumothoraces were diagnosed using radiography and computed axial tomography. He emergently underwent an exploratory laparotomy with colostomy following bilateral chest tube placement. At laparotomy, a perforation of the posterior sigmoid colon was identified at the site of earlier polypectomy. The patient remained intubated and mechanically ventilated for 3 days postoperatively. Perforations of the colon during colonoscopies are the most serious complication of the procedure. Continued insufflation of air or carbon dioxide into a perforated colon can result in extraluminal gas that can result in life-threatening tension pneumothoraces. This case examines the consequences of colonic perforation and the anesthetic management for the definitive surgical treatment of a posterior sigmoid wall perforation. Anesthesia providers' awareness of the risk factors for colonic perforation due to colonoscopy, early signs and symptoms of perforation, and knowledge of the surgical and anesthetic management of perforation could lead to early recognition and intervention and likely to improved patient outcomes.