Possible venous air embolism during open eye surgery in a child

Emphysema following vitrectomy with fluid–gas exchange: description of a rare complication

“…Although unusual, there is a report in the literature of an air systemic embolism following vitrectomy with fluid–gas exchange due to the same positive pressure mechanical ventilation 8,9…”

Does Venous Air Embolism Occur During Air/Fluid Exchange?

“…Analyzing the whole peripapillary retinal thickness by OCT is worthwhile, as the edema is not limited to the inner layers, ie, the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL); it also involves the outer retina. The presence of a hyporeflective subretinal space around the optic disc in eyes with papilledema had already been described by our group and later manually quantified by Johnson et al 2,3 In 2006, we postulated 2 hypotheses to explain this finding. First, the extensive swelling of the optic nerve head pushes the disc anteriorly.…”

“…2 In the second and third case, clinical parameters were altered in a similar fashion during air/fluid exchange, and the cardiac auscultation revealed millwheel murmur in both cases, which is highly indicative of VAE. In both cases, no other causes could be elucidated from the anesthetic point of view.…”

“…Second, the subretinal fluid may accumulate because of increased tissue and venous pressure caused by venous stasis at the level of the optic nerve head. 2 The latter hypothesis was shared by Johnson et al, 3 who considered the hyporeflective space the consequence of extravasated fluid from the optic nerve head. In a previous letter, Hayreh 4 stated that the subretinal fluid leaks from the dilated retinal radial peripapillary capillaries secondary to optic disc edema.…”

Carbon dioxide embolism during transoral robotic thyroidectomy: A case report

“…Such unintended high‐speed CO 2 entrapment is likely to cause a relatively large volume of CO 2 to enter the circulation in a short time. Then an air‐lock within the right ventricle caused by a large CO 2 gas embolism leads to secondary pulmonary hypertension, decreased cardiac output, and systemic hypotension . Unlike abdominal laparoscopic procedures, transoral and axillo‐breast approaches with CO 2 gas for thyroidectomy require skin flap dissection to create a working space because there is no preexisting cavity.…”