A 75-year-old man suffered from a terrible swelling in his eyelids that prevented him from opening his eyes for a long time.
The incident happened following surgery was performed for a lung that had collapsed and, according to the specialists who treated him, this caused an air pocket to appear under his skin.
According to a publication in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the affected person was receiving treatment to control Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Due to his serious condition, they decided to perform lung volume reduction surgery, a common procedure for people with COPD whose condition is so deteriorated that it is necessary to remove part of the lung. Read here: A man tests positive for HIV, coronavirus and monkeypox at the same time
What the doctors did not count on were the complications of the surgery: the man suffered a collapsed lung and subcutaneous emphysema.
The emphysema started in the man’s pelvis and spread until it reached his face.
Subcutaneous emphysema is a relatively frequent complication in surgical interventions, according to the article ‘Treatment of massive subcutaneous emphysema with suction drainage’, published by the scientific journal Medicina Intensiva.
The emphysema began in the man’s pelvis and spread to his face, causing his eyes to swell so exaggeratedly that doctors used a chest tube, which is inserted between the skin lining. and the muscle, just below the ribs, to bring down the swelling. It may interest you: A man was diagnosed with herpes and scabies by mistake, it was monkeypox
Two hours later, the condition of his eyes had improved significantly, and within five days he was fully recovered.
Doctors released him from the hospital a week following they removed the tube and found that he was in good condition.
Subcutaneous emphysema: what is it? And the causes?
A report from the University of California states that “subcutaneous emphysema is a rare condition that occurs in just 0.43% of people.”
In addition, it is a condition that is more evident in men, since seven out of ten cases are in male patients. Many times, emphysema is not detectable, because a visible lump does not form in all cases, which can be dangerous for the patient. Read: With monkeypox pimples, get on a full transport and discuss with a doctor
The causes can be:
Blast wave injuries.
– Blunt trauma.
-Corrosive or chemical burns of the esophagus or respiratory tract.
-Dive injuries.
0,43%
Subcutaneous emphysema is a rare condition that occurs in just 0.43% of people.
-Snorting cocaine.
-Penetrating trauma such as gunshot wounds or stab wounds.
-Whooping cough.
– Vomiting (Boerhaave syndrome). Also read: Tobacco use: leading cause of death from lung disease
As the doctors who treated the patient did, “the usual treatment of progressive subcutaneous emphysema is the correct drainage of the pleural cavity,” the article states.
On the other hand, there is a high percentage of patients whose emphysema does not improve despite the pleural cavity being properly drained.
This is possibly due to the presence of a broncho-subcutaneous fistula, which is an air leak that originates in the lung parenchyma and is difficult to treat, according to the authors of the article.
