Synchronous Bilateral Pneumothorax as a Complication of Tracheostomy

Tracheostomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical pro­cedures in critically ill patients. Development of pneumothorax after tracheostomy is a rare but expected complication. We report a case of bilateral iatrogenic pneumothoraces due to a tracheostomy applied because of bilateral vocal cord paralysis associated with dyspnea. Af­ter tracheostomy, bilateral pneumothoraces were identified on chest X-ray. The patient was treated with bilateral tube thoracostomies.