Day case laparoscopy. A comparison of two anaesthetic techniques using the laryngeal mask during spontaneous...

Forty women undergoing day case laparoscopy were randomly allocated to receive either an inhalational or total intravenous anaesthetic. All patients breathed spontaneously through a Brain laryngeal mask. There were no clinically significant cardiovascular or respiratory differences between the two techniques. No episodes of clinical aspiration occurred and there were no peri-operative arrhythmias. We conclude that spontaneous respiration with a laryngeal mask is a safe and effective method of anaesthesia for laparoscopy provided certain guidelines are followed.