[A case of stagnation of a large amount of irrigation fluid in abdominal cavity during hysteroscopic myomectomy].

A 30-year-old woman was scheduled to undergo hysteroscopic myomectomy for uterine myoma. Spinal anesthesia was performed with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine and she was sedated with intravenous propofol during the surgery. After the surgical procedure, propofol infusion was stopped. The patient soon awoke and vomited frequently and repeatedly. Her serum sodium concentration was as low as 129 mEq x l(-1) and fluid overload (water intoxication) was suspected. Because the abdominal X-P revealed that two parts of the surgical instrument remained in her uterine cavity at that time, hysteroscopic procedure was restarted. General anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with nitrous oxide and sevoflurane. During the procedure, uterus was accidentally perforated and one of the parts moved into the abdominal cavity. When the laparotomy started to fix uterine perforation, the abdomen of the patient became remarkably distended. During the laparotomy, it was revealed that 4800 ml of irrigation fluid had been accumulated in the abdominal cavity. Although hysteroscopic surgery is generally considered non-invasive, two major complications (fluid overload and uterine perforation) occurred in this case. This case suggests that anesthetists must remain alert for the signs of these complications during hysteroscopic surgery.