ABSTRACT
The anesthetic management of laparoscopic surgery has several important goals. The anesthetic technique must maximize patient safety in a patient population that is often much older and more debilitated than the younger gynecological patients in whom the original laparoscopic experience was developed. The complexity of laparoscopic procedures has increased, prolonging operative times, yet length of hospital stay has shortened. Therefore, the anesthesiologist must balance adequate intraoperative amnesia, analgesia, and muscle relaxation with the desire for rapid postoperative recovery and minimal side effects.
