This approach has been design ed to provide adequate analgesia while minimizing exposure to adverse events
Background : Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has advantages over the open procedure for postoperative pain .
However , a systematic review of postoperative pain management in this procedure has not been conducted .
A prospective randomized trial of intraoperative bupivacaine irrigation for management of shoulder-tip pain following laparoscopy.
BACKGROUND Postoperative shoulder-tip pain ( STP ) frequently occurs following laparoscopic surgery .  In an attempt to abrogate this complication we prospect ively evaluated the efficacy of intraoperative irrigation of the diaphragm with bupivacaine . METHODS One hundred and five consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery  were prospect ively r and omized to treatment or control groups . Treatment group ( B , n = 55 ) received irrigation with 10 mL 0.5 % bupivacaine in 500 mL saline and control group ( A , n = 50 ) received an equal volume of normal saline . Each dome of the diaphragm was irrigated with 250 mL of either solution at the end of surgery . Laparoscopic procedures performed included cholecystectomy ( n = 63 ) , Nissen fundoplication ( n = 21 ) , appendicectomy ( n = 7 ) , hernia repair ( n = 4 ) , and diagnostic laparoscopy ( n = 10 ) . Patients ' anesthesia and perioperative analgesia were st and ardized . STP was recorded on a visual analogue pain scale ( VAPS ) in the recovery room immediately following surgery and at 4 , 10 , and 24 hours thereafter . RESULTS The overall incidence of STP in patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures was approximately 24 % . Twenty-one patients ( 42 % ) in the control group and 4 patients ( 7 % ) in the treatment group complained of shoulder pain during the recording period ( P = 0.003 ) . Mean STP scores as recorded on VAPS were significantly lower in the bupivacaine group than in the control group from 4 to 24 hours after surgery ( P < 0.01 ) . Postoperative analgesia requirements were also significantly reduced in those patients receiving bupivacaine irrigation ( P < 0.04 ) . CONCLUSION Intraperitoneal irrigation with bupivacaine to both hemidiaphragms at the end of surgery significantly reduces both frequency and intensity of STP following laparoscopic procedures thus reducing patient morbidity
This approach has been design ed to provide adequate analgesia while minimizing exposure to adverse events
Background : Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has advantages over the open procedure for postoperative pain .
However , a systematic review of postoperative pain management in this procedure has not been conducted .