Cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: An anaesthetic challenge

Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy plays a considerable role as a treatment modality in surgical oncology in western countries. The advantage of this procedure is that the heated chemotherapeutic agent is circulated in the abdominal cavity and achieves high peritoneal concentration with limited systemic absorption. This procedure is complex not only to the surgical team, but also to the anaesthetist because apart from managing the usual physiologic changes associated with major surgery, one should also be prepared to manage the physiologic changes during the hyperthermic phase. Here, we present our experience with our first case.