Objective To observe the effects of epidural anaesthesia (EA) and general anaesthesia (GA) on the changes of plasma epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methods Thirty patients undergoing elective LC were randomly divided into GA group (n＝15) and EA group (n＝15). The concentrations of plasma NE and E were measured at the following phases: before anaesthesia, before introducing pneumoperitoneum, during pneumoperitoneum, and at the end of operation. Results In EA group, the concentrations of NE weren′t significantly different at each phase, the concentrations of E significantly increased before and during pneumoperitoneum (Ｐ＜0.05) and returned to the baseline at the end of operation (Ｐ＞0.05). In GA group, the concentrations of NE and E didn′t change significantly before pneumoperitoneum, but increased during pneumoperitoneum (Ｐ＜0.05) and E didn′t return to the baseline at the end of operation (Ｐ＜0.05). The E concentrations of EA group was higher than that of GA group before pneumoperitoneum, but the NE concentration of EA group was lower than that of GA group during pneumoperitoneum (Ｐ＜0.05). Conclusion Both groups has significant stress reaction, but the stress reaction of EA group is weaker than that of GA group during LC.