The Effect of Pneumoperitoneum-induced Hypertension During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Under General Anesthesia on Postoperative Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Acute postoperative pain is a significant cause of morbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intraoperative blood pressure during laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia on postoperative pain in patients without underlying disorders. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 72 patients undergoing general anesthesia for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned into two groups: Group A with higher than baseline preoperative blood pressure (MAP allowed to increase up to 20% higher than baseline MAP by inducing pneumoperitoneum) and group B with normal to low blood pressure (MAP deliberately controlled at a tight limit from normal baseline MAP values to 20% less than baseline by titrating TNG infusion). The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) after 2, 8, 12, and 24 hours of surgery, and the total dose of meperidine used to manage postoperative pain were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The pain scores in group A were significantly lower than group B (P = 0.001). The postoperative analgesia request time was different between the two groups (P = 0.53). During the first 24 hours, the total meperidine consumption dose in group A was significantly lower than in group B (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: High intraoperative blood pressure may affect the postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and lead to less postoperative pain score and analgesic requirements.