Delayed tension pneumothorax after laparoscopy.

Laparoscopy is a safe and useful procedure in evaluating intraabdominal disease. Serious complications have been reported but are rare. Laparoscopy related pneumothorax is one such complication that may occur during the procedure or in the immediate period thereafter. This complication is typically neither hemodynamically significant nor tension in nature. We report the unique case of a 52-year-old woman who not only developed acute respiratory compromise from a tension pneumothorax but did so 3 h after the completion of a seemingly uneventful laparoscopic procedure. Prompt recognition of this potential complication may permit immediate and effective treatment of this life-threatening complication.