Laparoscopic Appendicectomy in a Postpneumonectomy Patient

Pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic surgeries has anesthetic implications due to increase in the intra-abdominal pressure and end-tidal carbon dioxide. The effects are more pronounced if the patient has only one lung. However, the advantages of laparoscopy include reduced postoperative pain and early recovery. We present a case of 30-year-old patient who had undergone pneumonectomy and was posted for laparoscopic appendicectomy. General anesthesia was instituted, and with some modifications in ventilation, the procedure was uneventful and we were able to extubate the patient on the table. Understanding of the physiological consequences of pneumonectomy facilitated the provision of safe anesthesia.