Abdominal muscle relaxation and changes in abdominal wall compliance, produced by the use of anesthetics and muscle relaxants, are important contributors for the achievement of optimal surgical field using minimal abdominal pressure. A practical dilemma is how to maintain good surgical conditions till the end of the operative procedure by deep anesthesia and muscle relaxation on one hand, and to have an awake and spontaneously breathing patient at the end of surgery on the other.