INCREASED INTRAPERITONEAL PRESSURE UP TO 15 MM HG DOES NOT RELIABLY INDUCE HEMODYNAMIC-CHANGES IN PIGS

Haemodynamic alterations occur consistently with laparoscopic surgery in humans. These haemodynamic changes have never been reproduced in an animal model without additional potentiating factors. As these altera tions may be deleterious in some patients and as the cause is only par tly understood, we have used an animal model to study these changes. P neumoperitoneum with intraperitoneal pressures of up to 15 mm Hg were produced in pigs, in the same way as for laparoscopic surgery in human s. Arterial pressure, cardiac output, pulmonary arterial pressure and systemic arterial resistance were assessed at baseline and after pneum operitoneum had been produced. Intraperitoneal pressures of up to 15 m m Hg were not associated with consistent circulatory changes and we co nclude that haemodynamic changes associated with laparoscopic surgery are dependent on species.