Intermittent pneumatic sequential compression of the lower extremities restores the cerebral oxygen saturation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Pneumoperitoneum causes intracranial pressure elevation and blood stasis at lower extremities. This study investigates cerebral oxygen saturation changes during laparoscopy and the effects of intermittent sequential compression (ISC) of the lower extremities in patients during elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Patients And Method: Sixty patients were randomly divided into two groups according to the application of ISC to the lower extremities. Group I served as control group whereas ISC was applied to group II. Cerebral oxygen saturation, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, mean blood pressure, and associated changes have been recorded during the operation.

Results: Peripheral blood oxygen saturation and mean blood pressure values did not change significantly after pneumoperitoneum. Cerebral oxygen saturation levels of the group II patients were higher in than the group I patients and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p = 0.0001). The difference became more prominent following the 35(th) minute of the operation. Mean heart rate of the patients in group II was lower than the patients in group I and the difference was also statistically significant (p = 0.0001).

Conclusion: In this study, it was found that the decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation was recovered with ISC application. This simple and reliable technique helps to restore cerebral oxygen saturation levels while increasing blood return from the lower extremities.