[Two cases of bilateral upper extremity pareses during laparoscopic colectomy]

We herein report on two cases of bilateral upper extremity pareses developing after laparoscopic colectomy. The first case is a 42-year-old man undergoing laparoscopic colectomy under general and epidural anesthesia. During the operation, he was in a combined lithotomy and Trendelenburg position with his arms abducted to 80 degrees and flexed slightly on padded armboards. Postoperatively, he complained of numbness of bilateral forearms. A diagnosis of hypoperfusion caused by arm band was made. His symptoms subsided in three days by physical training. The second case is a 36-year-old woman who developed injury in the brachial plexus after laparoscopic colectomy. We suspect that the nerve injury was caused by the overstretching of her neck with her head under general anesthesia in Trendelenburg position.