This study was performed to identify effects of pneumoperitoneum on hemodynamic changes of hypertensive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy under general anesthesia.

Data collection was done from January 2 to June 10, 2008. Seventy-six patients, including 38 hypertensive patients, who had taken antihypertensive drugs more than 1 month and 38 normotensive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy were enrolled in this study. The hemodynamic parameters were heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (CO) which were measured 7 times from before induction of anesthesia to 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum. Collected data were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA and Bonferroni comparison method.

HR in the hypertensive group was significantly decreased at deflation of the pneumoperitoneum and 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum (p=.012). MAP in the hypertensive group was not different from the normotensive group (p=.756). CO in hypertensive group was significantly lower than normotensive group (p<.001) from immediately after pneumoperitoneum to 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum.

The results indicate that pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery does not lead to clinically negative hemodynamic changes in heart rate, mean arterial pressure or cardiac output of hypertensive patients, who have taken antihypertensive drugs for more than 1 month.