SummaryHepatic cryotherapy is used to treat unresectable liver tumors and could potentially be undertaken laparoscopically; however, the risk of gas embolism during laparoscopic hepatic cryotherapy has not been studied. Eight New Zealand White rabbits underwent laparoscopic hepatic cryotherapy with continuous precordial ultrasound monitoring for gas embolism. No episodes of gas embolism were detected, and at postmortem no intracardiac gas was found in any rabbit. In conclusion, this study found no evidence that gas embolism is any more likely to occur during laparoscopic than in open hepatic cryotherapy.