Objective To evaluate the
safety and
efficacy of the
general anesthesia for
laparoscopy-assisted
surgery in
aged patients (≥80years).
Methods The effects of
general anesthesia in 39
patients who underwent
laparoscopy-assisted
surgery during the period from May 2000 to February 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. All the
patients were 80 years old or above, with a mean of 83.3 years old. Among the
patients 38 cases had systemic
diseases, and some of them had more than one concomitant
disease. The systemic
diseases included
diabetes mellitus in 6 cases, coronary atherosclerotic
heart disease in 10 cases,
hypertension in 18 cases,
arrhythmia in 15 cases, cerebral
vascular disease in 8 cases and
anemia in 1 case. The
laparoscopy-assisted
surgery included
cholecystectomy in 14 cases, radical resection for
rectal cancer in 6 cases, for
colon carcinoma in 8 cases, and for
kidney cancer in 6 cases, and resection for colonic benign
tumor,
hernioplasty, gastro-jejunal anastomosis and fenestration of hepatic or renal
cysts in 1
patient each. Results During the peri-
narcosis period
cerebral infarction occurred in 1
patient, and 20
patients were transferred to Intensity Care Unit. After operation 33
patients (84.6%) were cured and 6
patients (15.4%) had the illness condition improved. Conclusions The
general anesthesia in
laparoscopy-assisted
surgery is safe and feasible for the
elderly patients over 80 years old. The
elderly patients may safely
tide over the peri-
narcosis period with good
prognosis with effective control of
complications and concomitant
diseases. So the
general anesthesia should not be categorically forbidden in
laparoscopy-assisted
surgery for the
elderly patients with
complications.