Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Under Epidural Anesthesia in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become firmly established as a procedure of choice for gallstone
disease. The procedure usually necessitates general anaesthesia and endotracheal intubation to prevent
aspiration and respiratory embarrassment secondary to the induction of pneumoperitoneum. There is a
paucity of data in the literature on the procedure being performed under regional (epidural) anaesthesia,
especially in patients with coexisting pulmonary disease who are deemed high risk for general anaesthesia.