Non-fatal thrombin base hemostatic pulmonary embolism in laparoscopic surgery. A case report

Locally applied hemostatic agents, are used in various surgical procedures. In our case a thrombin based hemostatic matrix (FloSealTM) was used in the hepatic bed to facilitate haemostasis in a 63 year old-male undergoing video-laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Immediately after the surgery the patient developed severe anxiety, acute shortness of breath with associated hypoxia. An angiographic computerized tomography chest scan demonstrated multiple bilateral sub segmental pulmonary emboli that resolved in the following 12 hours. A bilateral lower extremity duplex ultrasound showed no evidence of deep venous thrombosis.