Spinal anesthesia is a viable option for emergent laparoscopic procedure in high-risk patients

• Main Authors: Alessandro De Cassai, Francesco Bertoncello, Christelle Correale, Ludovica Sandei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
• Series: Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia
• Subjects: anesthesia; laparoscopic; spinal anesthesia
• Online Access: http://www.saudija.org/article.asp?issn=1658-354X;year=2020;volume=14;issue=1;spage=115;epage=116;aulast=De

General anesthesia is the gold-standard for laparoscopic procedures. Spinal anesthesia is usually not used and hypotension and impairment of spontaneous breathing are the most feared complications. A 86-year-old patient with a history of stage four chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (FEV1 28%) underwent emergent surgery for acute abdominal pain. A combined spinal-epidural anesthesia was successfully performed, surgery lasted ninety minutes without any surgical difficulties. Patient was discharged from the hospital on the third postoperative day. Our case depicts well how spinal anesthesia may be a viable option for high risk patients undergoing emergent laparoscopic surgery.