Colonoscopy is routinely used for the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal diseases. Bowel perforation is a rare but severe complication that significantly increases the morbidity and mortality. Tension pneumothorax is an uncommon complication of colonic perforation. We present a case of the successful treatment of a patient with tension pneumothorax, following colonoscopy, by using tube thoracostomy and Hartman-type resection of the rectosigmoid junction and proximal sigmoid. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and endoscopists should consider the possibility of pneumothorax as a rare complication of colonoscopy. Early detection and urgent treatment is the key to successful management.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.