Publication: Cardiac arrest during laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia: A study into four cases
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
Abstract
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LapChole) has virtually superseded the more conventional open abdomen approach
for the surgical treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis. LapChole is however not a risk free procedure and serious,
potentially fatal intra-operative complications can occur. Here we present case reports of four patients who suffered
from intra-operative cardiac arrest during LapChole. All four recovered without residual morbidity and three of them
underwent successful surgery in the same setting. No definite cause could be identified in any of the patients. We
outline several possible mechanisms that could have been involved and discuss these events in face of published reports
describing similar incidences. We infer that the creation of carbon-dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum was involved in
the causation of the cardiac arrest because all four incidences occurred within minutes thereafter. Although rare, such
complications can be fatal and are thus demanding to the anaesthesiologist.
Key words: Anaesthetic complications; carbon-dioxide pneumoperitoneum (CP); cardiac arrest; general anaesthesia;
laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Description
Gautam B1, Shrestha BR 2
1Lecturer, 2Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal, Nepal