Anesthetic considerations for laparoscopy in children.

As experience, equipment, and techniques have improved, minimally invasive surgery is being applied to increasingly younger children. With the advent of this new surgical approach, there are also specific modifications necessary in anesthetic technique. When considering the anesthetic implications in these patients, one must consider both the patient's underlying health status as well as physiological derangements induced by the surgery. This article describes the specific anesthetic implications for laparoscopic procedures in neonates, infants, and children. This information includes the preoperative evaluation, intraoperative anesthetic care, and monitoring with a special emphasis on the physiological alterations induced by the endoscopic procedures.