Segmental Thoracic Spinal Anesthesia for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with the "Hypobaric" Technique: A Case Series

Several studies have applied lumbar spinal anesthesia (SA) with isobaric/hyperbaric bupivacaine and opioids in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), documenting a superiority of the methodic over general anesthesia (GA) in terms of perioperative pain, nausea, and vomiting, though with a notable incidence of intraoperative right shoulder pain, potentially responsible for conversion to GA. This case series presents an opioid-free scheme of segmental thoracic spinal anesthesia (STSA) with hypobaric ropivacaine, reporting its benefits mainly in terms of shoulder pain occurrence.

Hypobaric STSA was performed in nine patients undergoing elective LC between May 1 and September 1, 2022. The level of the needle insertion was included between T8 and T9, via a median or a paramedian approach. Midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) and Ketamine (0.3 mg/kg) were used as adjuvants for intrathecal sedation, followed by the administration of hypobaric ropivacaine 0.25% at a dose of 5 mg and then isobaric ropivacaine at a dose of 10 mg. Patients were placed in anti-Trendelenburg position for the entire duration of surgery. LC was conducted through the standard 3 or 4 ports technique with pneumoperitoneum maintained at a pressure of 8-10 mmHg.

Mean patient age was 75.7 (±17.5) years, with a mean ASA score and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) of 2.7 (±0.7) and 4.9 (±2.7), respectively. STSA was completed without complications in all patients, with no need for conversion to GA. Mean operative time and SA duration were 37.5 (±8.7) and 145.2 (±21.8) min, respectively. Intraoperatively, no shoulder or abdominal pain and nausea were reported, with only four and two patients requiring vasopressor and sedative intravenous drugs, respectively. Postoperatively, overall mean VAS pain score and within the first 12 hafter surgery were 3 (±2) and 4 (±2), respectively. Median length of stay was 2 (range = 1-3) days.

Hypobaric opioid-free STSA appears to be a promising approach for laparoscopic surgeries, with minimal to null occurrence of shoulder pain. Larger prospective studies are required to validate these findings.