Iatrogenic burns caused by gastrointestinal gas explosion during use of a holmium YAG laser

Abstract

Intraoperative iatrogenic burns that occur under general anesthesia may become deep and wide, because patients do not notice or complain about them. We here present a patient who suffered burns to both the buttocks and thighs from a holmium YAG laser used during surgery for cervical cancer. An investigating committee was set up to determine the cause of this incident, and concluded that it was highly likely that the patient’s flammable gastrointestinal gases during the use of the holmium YAG laser caused the fire.This case report describes the etiology of this unusual incident, together with a literature review, and recommendations on how to avoid such injuries. In addition, we report the successful treatment of this patient by a strategic surgical method. Keywords: Iatrogenic burns, Gastrointestinal gas explosion, Holmium YAG laser