Venous gas embolism during endoscopy

Venous gas embolism is a rare but serious complication of laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures. We describe the case of a 33-year-old woman with a s trictured hepaticojejunostomy anastomosis who was treated with transabdomin al endoscopic balloon dilation. During the procedure, she suffered a venous gas embolus with immediate cardiovascular collapse. After treatment with p ressors, electrical cardioversion, and multiple aspirations of the right ve ntricle, the patient recovered fully, We reviewed all reported cases of ven ous gas embolism during endoscopy over the past 30 years and identified mul tiple risk factors. We suggest precautions to minimize future complications in patients at increased risk.