Table 4 Potential complications of medical thoracoscopy/pleuroscopy
Before the procedure

  • Air embolism, subcutaneous emphysema and pain during pneumothorax induction

  • Shortness of breath after pneumothorax induction

  • Hypersensitivity reaction to local anaesthetic

During the procedure

  • Pain

  • Hypoxaemia

  • Hypoventilation

  • Cardiac arrhythmias

  • Hypotension

  • Haemorrhage

  • Injury to lung or other organs

After the procedure

  • Re-expansion pulmonary oedema

  • Pain

  • Postoperative fever

  • Wound infection

  • Hypotension

  • Empyema

  • Subcutaneous emphysema

  • Persisting pneumothorax

  • Prolonged air leakage

  • Continuing pleural fluid production

  • Early and late complications after talc pleurodesis

  • Seeding of chest wall by tumour cells

  • Mortality