Background: Day care surgeries are becoming increasingly popular in the modern times. Hence day care anaesthesia has emerged as one of the fastest growing branches in modern anaesthetic practice. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most commonly performed day care surgeries. In this study we aimed at evaluating two different approaches for day care anaesthesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomies – thoracic vs lumbar.

Materials and methods: 60 ASA 1 and 2 patients who were scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies were divided into two groups. Group T received 10mg (2 ml) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine + 25 µg (0.5 ml) fentanyl in thoracic spinal anesthesia. Whereas group L received 15mg (3ml) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine + 25 µg (0.5 ml) fentanyl  in lumbar spinal anesthesia. Onset of analgesia, maximum motor block, duration of sensory and motor block and haemodynamics were noted.

Statistical analysis:  The non parametric data was compared using Chi-square test and Mann- whitney U test. Parametric data was analysed using student t test using SPSS 16.0 software.

Results: Thoracic approach provided a faster onset, longer sensory block and minimal haemodynamic alterations as compared to lumbar approach.

Conclusion: Thoracic spinal anaesthesia is more suited to day care surgeries than lumbar spinal anaesthesia.