Unexpected hemorrhage during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a case report

Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy is increasingly performed as a minimally invasive option for patients with organ-confined prostate cancer. This technique offers several advantages over other surgical methods. However, concerns have been raised over the effects of the steep head-down tilt necessary during the procedure. We present a case in which head-down positioning and abdominal insufflation masked the signs of an intraoperative hemorrhage.

A 73-year-old Asian man developed severe hypotension caused by an unexpected hemorrhage during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Although our patient’s blood pressure steadily decreased during the procedure, his systolic blood pressure remained above 80 mmHg while he was tilted head downward at an angle of 28°. However, his blood pressure dropped immediately after he was returned to the horizontal position and abdominal insufflation – to create a pneumoperitoneum – was ceased at the end of surgery. We returned the patient to a head-down tilt to keep his blood pressure stable and began fluid infusion. Blood test results indicated that a hemorrhage was the cause of his hypotension. Open abdominal surgery was performed to stop the bleeding. The surgeons found blood pooling inside his abdomen from a longitudinal cut in a small arterial vessel in his abdominal wall, possibly a branch of his external iliac artery. The surgeons successfully controlled the hemorrhage and our patient was moved to our intensive care unit. Our patient recovered completely over the next few days, without any neurological deficits.

We suspect that blood began to pool in our patient’s superior abdomen during surgery, and that increased intra-abdominal pressure suppressed the hemorrhage. When our patient was returned to the horizontal position and insufflation of his abdomen was discontinued, the resulting increased rate of hemorrhage caused a sudden drop in blood pressure. Surgeons and anesthesiologists must understand the hemodynamic changes that result from head-down patient positioning and abdominal insufflation.