In a patient with sharp left-sided chest pain and dyspnea three days after an abdominal hysterectomy, what is the most likely cause?

In this scenario, the presence of sharp left-sided chest pain and dyspnea occurring three days after an abdominal hysterectomy makes a massive pulmonary embolism the most likely cause. Postoperative patients, particularly those who have undergone major surgeries like an abdominal hysterectomy, are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism due to factors such as immobility, changes in blood flow, and potential damage to blood vessels during surgery.

A massive pulmonary embolism can occur when a thrombus, often originating from veins in the legs or pelvis, dislodges and travels to the pulmonary arteries. This results in obstruction of blood flow to lung tissue, leading to symptoms such as sudden onset chest pain, shortness of breath, and possibly even hemodynamic instability depending on the severity. The timing of the symptoms—such as their emergence three days post-surgery—aligns well with the timeline for the development of thromboembolic events in surgical patients.

While other options may present with chest pain and dyspnea, they do not align with the specific context of recent surgery and the acute nature of the symptoms. Pneumothorax could occur due to procedural complications, but it is less likely given the surgical context. Stress-induced ang