Circulatory collapse during laparoscopic cholecystectomy]

A 52 year-old female without any cardiac disease underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Anesthesia was induced with thiamylal and maintained with nitrous oxide and isoflurane. Epidural anesthesia was also used during surgery. When the intraabdominal insufflation was performed in reverse-trendelenburg position 15 minutes after the start of incision, the heart rate suddenly decreased from 75 to 49 bmp with a fall in blood pressure. Her hemodynamic state recovered immediately after the release of intraabdominal pressure and the administration of ephedrine with a rapid infusion of Hespander. The circulatory collapse did not occur when the second insufflation was tried carefully. The circulatory collapse was probably due to the vagal reflex. The decrease in cardiac preload during the reverse trendelenburg position and the epidural administration of local anesthetics may have caused or worsened the circulatory collapse. In anesthetic managements of laparoscopic cholecystectomy using general anesthesia with epidural anesthesia, prophylactic hydrogenation and prevention of parasympathetic domination are important to minimize the vagal reflex.