LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY AND ITS POTENTIAL FOR MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS

Laparoscopic surgery is very popular among physicians and patients bec ause this technique is associated with safety, shorter hospital stay, early return to normal activity, and cosmetic acceptance of the operat ive scar. Although the procedure involves minimal invasion and tissue damage, it has potentially serious complications, including cardiopulm onary effects that result mainly from hypercarbia and raised intraabdo minal pressure caused by pneumoperitoneum. Absorbed carbon dioxide fro m the peritoneal cavity tends to cause acidosis. Leakage of the gas in to tissue spaces may induce subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneu momediastinum and pneumopericardium. Cardiac effects include arrhythmi as, hypotension, cardiac arrest, gas embolism, pulmonary edema, and my ocardial ischemia or infarction. Some of these effects, though rare, a re serious and potentially fatal. Physicians should anticipate these p roblems in their patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures. This rev iew discusses the technique of and physiologic considerations in lapar oscopic surgery as well as its potential complications.