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Anesth Analg 2005;100:1651-1652
© 2005 International Anesthesia Research Society
doi: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000154304.63828.C0

AMBULATORY ANESTHESIA

Possible Air Embolism During Eye Surgery

Thomas Ledowski, MD*, Felix Kiese, MD{dagger}, Silke Jeglin, MD*, and Jens Scholz, MD*

*Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Kiel; and {dagger}Eye Hospital Bellevue, Kiel, Germany

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Thomas Ledowski, MD, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Schwanenweg 21, D24105 Kiel, Germany. Address e-mail to ledowski{at}anaesthesie.uni-kiel.de.

We report a case of possible air embolism during a three-port pars plana vitrectomy and air-fluid exchange of the vitreous cavity of the eye. After the start of intraocular air flushing, sudden tachycardia, a decrease in oxygen saturation and end-tidal carbon dioxide tension, and a distinct "mill-wheel" murmur were observed. Venous air embolism was suspected but other sources of air entry into the circulation and a thromboembolic event were excluded. Once intraocular air flushing was ceased, clinical variables returned to normal within minutes. In conclusion, during air-fluid exchange of the vitreous cavity, air embolism should be considered as a possible rare complication.




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Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 2005 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.