Comparison of the Hemodynamic Effects of Gasless Abdominal Distention and CO2 Pneumoperitoneum during Incremental Positive End-Expiratory Pressure

Laparoscopy is used increasingly in managing critically ill patients. Carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum is used during these procedures. The increased intra-abdominal pressure of CO2 pneumoperitoneum, however, can affect cardiopulmonary performance adversely. Recently, gasless abdominal wall distention has been introduced as an alternative to CO2 pneumoperitoneum. The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic effects of gasless abdominal distention (GAD) with those of CO2 pneumoperitoneum during mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Six anesthetized, paralyzed, mechanically ventilated adult swine were monitored with pulmonary artery and arterial catheters at incremental values of PEEP (0-20 cm H20, by 5, Control) and then allowed to return to baseline hemodynamic status at 0 cm H2O PEEP. The animals were then randomly assigned to receive either CO2 pneumoperitoneum at 15 mm Hg intra-abdominal pressure (PNEUMO) or GAD (equal to anterior abdominal wall displacement of CO2) and PEEP was reapplied. The animals were allowed to return to hemodynamic baseline and PEEP was reapplied with the alternate method of abdominal wall distention. A complete hemodynamic profile and arterial/ mixed venous blood gas measurements were monitored at each value of PEEP. With GAD, central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), and PaCO2 were significantly reduced, compared to PNEUMO, and PaO2 was increased. Cardiac index was higher in GAD versus PNEUMO at baseline, but was lower for GAD at PEEP levels above 10 cm H2O. These results indicate that in its net effect, GAD does not exacerbate the adverse hemodynamic effects of PEEP. This technique may be a favorable alternative to CO2 pneumoperitoneum in the critically ill ventilated patient when there is concern over PAP, CVP, PCWP, and PaO2/PaCO2.