Abstract
I report a case of bilateral pneumothoraces that developed postoperatively in a 66-year-old patient (166cm, 44kg). The patient had no apparent pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases preoperatively. He was scheduled for total gastrectomy under general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia. Intraoperatively no pathological episodes occurred. Postoperatively, after extubation, he showed dyspnea with marked inspiratory efforts and cyanosis. He was reintubated immediately and ventilated with 100% oxygen. He was diagnosed with right lung pneumothorax from acoustic sounds and chest X-ray. He received chest drainage and was controlled by spontaneous ventilation. Six hours later the respiratory conditions were impaired again, he was diagnosed with left lung pneumothorax and treated the same way. Twenty hours later the respiratory conditions improved and we finished the respiratory control. We did not know what the causes of the pneumothorax were but it was suggested that operations with upper abdominal surgical maneuvering and mechanical airway pressure alteration at extubation induced airway disorder after operation.
