Abstract
It has been postulated that gaseous insufflation of the abdominal cavity results in temperature elevation, particularly in children, and that the use of heating blankets should be avoided during laparoscopic surgery. On review of the last 102 laparoscopic genitourinary cases, we conclude that the use of nonheated, nonhumidified carbon dioxide for insufflation during laparoscopic surgery under a general anesthetic results in mild hypothermia. The use of warming devices in this setting is both safe and appropriate. Children have a rise in temperature relative to preoperative measurement, although they are explicitly capable of hypothermia. Neither the duration of the procedure, the surgical approach, nor conversion to open exploration had a significant impact on temperature regulation. Adrenalectomy results in more exaggerated temperature changes than do other laparoscopic procedures.
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