Anesthetic Considerations for Pediatric Laparoscopic Surgery

Abstract

Laparoscopic surgery has several advantages over conventional surgery for the patient. An increasing number of diagnostic and surgical procedures are being done laparoscopically not only in adults but also in pediatric patients. The main advantages of laparoscopic surgery for patients are less postoperative pain, reduced wound complications, minimal scarring, shorter hospital stay and the earlier return to normal activities including feeding, bowel movements and work. On the other hand it has the disadvantages of longer operation times, expensive consumables and limitations for the surgeon. These include two dimensional visual image, loss of touch sensation, difficulty in controlling bleeding (limited suction and no manual pressure), limitation in the number and direction of instruments and difficulty in suturing. Pediatrics have many differences than adults as regard anatomy, physiology and the effect of anesthetic drugs. So anesthesia for pediatric laparoscopy requires special planning and complete understanding of these differences. Proper assessment, delivering safe anesthesia throughout the procedure is the duty of the anesth