Laparoscopic surgery is normally performed under general anesthesia, but regional techniques like thoracic epidural and lumbar spinal have been emerging and found beneficial. We performed a clinical case study of segmental thoracic spinal anaesthesia in a healthy patient. We selected an ASA grade I patient undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy and gave spinal anesthetic in T10-11 interspace using 1 ml of bupivacaine 5 mg ml−1 mixed with 0.5 ml of fentanyl 50 μg ml−1. Other drugs were only given (systemically) to manage patient anxiety, pain, nausea, hypotension, or pruritus during or after surgery. The patient was reviewed 2 days postoperatively in ward. The thoracic spinal anesthetia was performed easily in the patient. Some discomfort which was readily treated with 1mg midazolam and 20 mg ketamine intravenously. There was no neurological deficit and hemodynamic parameters were in normal range intra and post-operatively and recovery was uneventful. We used a narrow gauze (26G) spinal needle which minimized the trauma to the patient and the chances of PDPH, which was more if 16 or 18G epidural needle had been used and could have increased further if there have been accidental dura puncture. Also using spinal anesthesia was economical although it should be done cautiously as we are giving spinal anesthesia above the level of termination of spinal cord.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has traditionally been performed under general anaesthesia, regional anaesthetic techniques like spinal and epidural anaesthesia has emerged as a more suitable alternative for the minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We conducted a clinical study comparing levobupivacaine with clonidine and a combination of levobupivacaine with dexmedetomidine in thoracic epidural anaesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy as sole anaesthetic. MATERIAL AND METHODSAfter taking approval from Institutional Ethical Committee, 100 adult patients of ASA grade I and II were divided into two groups; Group 1 where levobupivacaine 0.5% (2mg/kg) with 1.5µg/kg clonidine was given and in Group 2 levobupivacaine 0.5% (2mg/kg) with 0.5μg/kg of dexmedetomidine. Thoracic epidural was given at the T10-T11 interspace to obtain a sensory block of T4-L2 dermatome, which was judged every minute by pinprick method till complete sensory block was established. Hemodynamic parameters like heart rate, non-invasive blood pressure, electrocardiogram, oxygen saturation were monitored and readings were recorded initially then at every 5 mins after administration of drug intraoperatively. RESULTDuration of block was longer in group 2 patients, onset of block was comparable in both the groups. Also fall in blood pressure and heart rate was greater in group 2 patients. Less incidence of shoulder pain was found in group 2 patients. Oxygen saturation (Spo2) was comparable in both the groups and no respiratory distress was seen. More post-operative analgesia was required in group 1. Also no complications were seen postoperatively in both the groups. CONCLUSIONLevobupivacaine with dexmedetomidine provides better anaesthesia than levobupivacaine with clonidine in thoracic epidural for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.