Subcutaneous emphysema and hypercarbia as a complication of laparoscopic procedure: Case report

Abstract

Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) is a rare complication of laparoscopic procedures, with an incidence rate of only 0.43–2.3%. In this report, we present a case of a 28-year-old male who underwent an elective laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair and developed surgical emphysema, hypercarbia and respiratory acidosis intraoperatively. Based on our findings, we concluded that regardless of the low incidence of SE, awareness of the associated risk factors should be ensured to avoid laparoscopic procedure-related complications.