Pleural Effusion in a Patient With Splenic Hematoma Following Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Case Report.

Sleeve gastrectomy has proved both effective and durable as a surgical intervention for obesity worldwide. This emphasizes the importance of reporting uncommon complications to enhance surgeons' awareness in their prevention, recognition, and management. We report an unusual case of a 31-year-old female with a BMI of 46 kg/m² who presented with progressive left hypochondrial pain and leukocytosis two weeks after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Abdominal CT revealed a splenic hematoma with associated left-sided pleural effusion. Surgical intervention was required for pleural effusion management after unsuccessful conservative treatment while ensuring splenic preservation. This case highlights splenic hematoma following sleeve gastrectomy as an uncommon but important cause of pleural effusion.