Chinese Medical Sciences Journal ›› 2020, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 191-194.doi: 10.24920/003648

• Case Report • Previous Articles    

Phrenic Nerve Injury Is a Differential Diagnosis of Hypoxemia after Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Thymectomy: 2 Cases Report and Literature Review

Ma Lulu, Huang Yuguang()   

  1. Department of anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
  • Received:2019-08-06 Accepted:2019-12-30 Published:2020-06-30 Online:2020-06-16
  • Contact: Huang Yuguang E-mail:garypumch@163.com

Hypoxemia after general anesthesia is not uncommon. For patients after thoracotomy, the differential diagnosis is usually difficult. Surgical, anesthetic, and patient-associated factors may contribute to postoperative hypoxemia. We described two patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy and developed hypoxemia immediately after extubation. Phrenic nerve injury was suspected in both patients. One case recovered spontaneously without intervention. The second case who had been demonstrated as bilateral phrenic nerve injury after the operation was continuously on ventilator after physical therapy and respiratory training for 2 months.

Key words: Phrenic nerve injury, hypoxemia, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

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