[The effects of anesthetic techniques and insufflating gases on ventilation during laparoscopy]

The present study was performed to clarify the influences of anesthetic methods and insufflating gases on arterial blood gas and ventilation during laparoscopy. Forty five women undergoing laparoscopy for gynecological procedure were studied after dividing into four groups; general anesthesia with control ventilation or epidural anesthesia with spontaneous breathing, plus insufflation with carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrous oxide (N2O). After CO2 insufflation, PaCO2 increased significantly in the patients who were mechanically ventilated, but not in the patients breathing spontaneously. After N2O insufflation, the decrease in tidal volume (VT) and the increase in VD/VT were significant, but minute ventilation was well maintained by the compensatory increase in respiratory frequency during spontaneous breathing. On the other hand, after CO2 insufflation VE and VD/VT increased significantly without any change in VT. PaO2 decreased significantly after both insufflation and Trendelenburg tilt in all groups, probably secondary to the decrease in functional residual capacity. These findings suggest that during laparoscopy, ventilation could be well maintained by spontaneous breathing, although the increase in VD/VT and costal breathing indicate the increase in respiratory work load. We recommend that ventilation and oxygenation should be closely monitored during laparoscopy to avoid hypercapnia and hypoxia.