Pulmonary Recruitment Maneuver Reduces Shoulder Pain and Nausea After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Pain and nausea are common after laparoscopic surgery. This prospective, randomized, controlled trial aimed to investigate postoperative pain and as a secondary endpoint nausea, when performing a ventilator-piloted Pulmonary Recruitment Maneuvre (PRM) at the end of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHOD: Patients having elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized to either ordinary exsufflation or ventilator-piloted PRM, to evacuate intra-abdominal carbon dioxide (CO(2)) before abdominal closure. A questionnaire with numeric rating scales (NRS) was utilized to evaluate pain and nausea at five occasions during 48 h following surgery. Analgesic and antiemetic treatment was also analyzed. RESULTS: 147 patients were analyzed, 76 receiving PRM and 71 controls. Overall pain was well controlled, with no significant difference between the groups regarding incidence (P=0.149) nor intensity (P=0.739). Incidence of shoulder pain was lower in the PRM group during the 48 postoperative hours, 44.7% versus 63.4% (P=0.023). The number needed to treat (NNT) to reduce shoulder pain was 6 (95% Confidence Interval, CI, 2.9–35.5) for the 48-h period. Incidence of nausea was lower in the PRM group during the 48-h period, 51.3% versus 70.4% (P=0.018). NNT was 6 (95% CI 2.9–27.4) for the 48-h period. Nausea intensity was lower in the PRM group during the 48 h (P=0.025). Fewer in the PRM population required antiemetics, 25.0% versus 42.3% (P=0.027). CONCLUSION: A ventilator-piloted PRM at the end of laparoscopic cholecystectomy reduced incidence of shoulder pain, and incidence and intensity of nausea. Clinical trial registration www.clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT03026543. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00268-021-06262-6.