Spinal vs general anesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: interim analysis of a controlled randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare spinal anesthesia with the gold standard general anesthesia for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in healthy patients.

DESIGN: Controlled randomized trial.

SETTING: University hospital.

PATIENTS: One hundred patients with symptomatic gallstone disease and American Society of Anesthesiologists status I or II were randomized to have laparoscopic cholecystectomy under spinal (n = 50) or general (n = 50) anesthesia.

METHODS: Intraoperative parameters, postoperative pain, complications, recovery, and patient satisfaction at follow-up were compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS: All the procedures were completed by the allocated method of anesthesia, as there were no conversions from spinal to general anesthesia. Pain was significantly less at 4 hours (P < .001), 8 hours (P < .001), 12 hours (P < .001), and 24 hours (P = .02) after the procedure for the spinal anesthesia group compared with those who received general anesthesia. There was no difference between the 2 groups regarding complications, hospital stay, recovery, or degree of satisfaction at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia is adequate and safe for laparoscopic cholecystectomy in otherwise healthy patients and offers better postoperative pain control than general anesthesia without limiting recovery.