Pneumoperitoneum-induced pneumothorax during laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy: a case report.

This living donor case suggests that a pneumothorax can occur during laparoscopic hepatectomy due to the escape of intraperitoneal CO2 gas into the pleural cavity. Because missing the chance to identify a pneumothorax early significantly decreases the safety for living donors, point-of-care lung ultrasound may help attending physicians reach the final diagnosis of an intraoperative pneumothorax more rapidly and to plan the treatment more effectively.