Epidural versus general anesthesia for laparo-endoscopic single-site cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Minimally invasive surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Surgical outcomes

Background:

• Laparoscopy-Enclosed-Surgery (LESS) cholecystectomy is a minimally invasive procedure.
• Anesthesia choice can impact patient outcomes and healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare outcomes of LESS cholecystectomy using epidural versus general anesthesia.
• To evaluate pain, length of stay, patient satisfaction, and costs.

Main Methods:

• Randomized trial comparing epidural and general anesthesia for LESS cholecystectomy.
• Pain assessment using Visual Analog Scale.
• Data analysis of demographics, length of stay, and costs.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in demographics, length of stay, or long-term pain scores.
• Epidural anesthesia group reported significantly less pain on Postoperative Day 0 (p=0.02).
• Epidural anesthesia resulted in lower total hospital costs (p=0.014).

Conclusions:

• Epidural anesthesia is a safe alternative to general anesthesia for LESS cholecystectomy.
• Epidural anesthesia reduces immediate postoperative pain and hospital costs.
• This approach offers potential benefits for patient recovery and healthcare economics.