A 75-year-old Australian man was disfigured after surgery to remove part of his right lung. In the postoperative period, the patient developed a rare condition called subcutaneous emphysema, in which his face swelled up enough to prevent him from opening his eyes.
Subcutaneous emphysema is a type of air pocket that forms under the skin. In the elderly, it continued to grow and extended from the pelvis to the face. The condition also affected the neck and chest. Doctors used a chest tube to remove the air pockets and she recovered completely.
An Australian research team highlighted the rare case in an article published yesterday (1) in the New England Journal of Medicine, although it did not disclose how long the man had suffered from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
Doctors performed lung volume reduction surgery on the right upper lobe of the organ. The procedure is common for people who suffer from COPD and whose condition has worsened to the point where part of the lung has to be removed.
This surgery is often recommended to help alleviate breathing problems often caused by chronic lung disease. But due to complications from the surgery, the man suffered a pulmonary effusion and, soon after, subcutaneous emphysema.
tube to remove air pockets
To reverse the situation, doctors used a chest tube inserted between the lining of his skin and the muscle — just below his ribs. Two hours after the start of treatment, the swelling had already significantly reduced. Within five days, the situation completely disappeared.
A week after the tube was removed, the old man was discharged from the hospital where he remained in good condition.
According to a report from the University of California, Los Angeles, published earlier this year, less than 0.43% of people worldwide have the rare subcutaneous emphysema.
More than seven out of ten cases occur in men. In most cases, the condition cannot be detected clinically, as subcutaneous emphysema does not always produce visible swelling.
source: Noticias
