RESUMEN
Objective To investigate the effects of low-pressure carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum (CLC) and gasless abdominal distension (GLC) on elderly patients during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods The clinical data,including operation time,hospital stay,surgical complications,and changes of other systems,of 36 elderly patients were analyzed. All the patients were older than 65 years when they received laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our hospital from January 2005 to December 2007. Among the cases,CLC (CO2 pressure:8-10 mm Hg) was used in 24,and GLC was employed in 12. The fourth generation artificial rib lifting apparatus was used for GLC. Results All the procedures were completed by laparoscopy,no patient was converted to open surgery. The operation time of the CLC and GLC groups was (46.2?14.8) min and (52.4?18.6) min respectively (t=-1.087,P=0.285). The vital signs of all the cases were stable during the operation,no carbon dioxide retention or cardiovascular affairs occurred. The hospital stay was (10.5?6.8) d in group CLC and (8.9?5.5) d in group GLC (t=0.706,P=0.485). The patients were followed up for 6 to 42 months,no complications occurred during the period. Conclusions GLC is safe for elderly patients with similar efficacy to that of low-pressure CLC.