Carbon dioxide homeostasis during anaesthesia for laparoscopy

For many years the technique of laparoscopy has been used as a means of investigating and treating intra-abdominal disease, particularly of a gynaecological nature.In this procedure gas is insufflated into the abdominal cavity to distend it and an illuminating endoscope is inserted through the midline of the abdominal wall.Intra-abdominal contents may then be inspected and, if necessary, biopsies may be taken or other procedures such as sterilisation by diathermy may be carried out.In this paper some of the problems of the anaesthetic management of patients undergoing this investigation are considered, together with an analysis of the effect of gas insufflation on respiratory homeostasis.