Bilateral Bloody Otorrhagia After Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy

Abstract

Bloody otorrhagia in the perioperative period is an uncommon event. We present a case of bilateral bloody otorrhagia after uncomplicated robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy in a 66-year-old man. Anesthetic management was unremarkable. No symptoms were noted by the patient. Postoperative otolaryngology evaluation revealed bilateral ear canal hematomas with intact tympanic membranes. The patient was discharged with Ciprodex ear drops on postoperative day 1. One-month otolaryngology follow-up revealed no long-term sequelae. Although the etiology is unclear, there seems to be a trend in the literature toward occurrence with laparoscopy in the Trendelenburg position.