Cervicofacial Surgical Emphysema following Tonsillectomy

We report the case of a patient who developed cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema following a routine tonsillectomy. An 18-year-old male with swallowing difficulties underwent a tonsillectomy and developed swelling of the right side of his neck and face 36 hours after surgery. A neck X-ray revealed...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Samir Yelnoorkar, Wolfgang Issing
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Otolaryngology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/746152
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We report the case of a patient who developed cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema following a routine tonsillectomy. An 18-year-old male with swallowing difficulties underwent a tonsillectomy and developed swelling of the right side of his neck and face 36 hours after surgery. A neck X-ray revealed subcutaneous emphysema. Unlike similar previously published cases, there were no postoperative issues of coughing, straining, or use of positive pressure ventilation. The complication also occurred after a considerable length of time. Further complications may include pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum and these should be excluded.
ISSN:2090-6765
2090-6773