Residual intraperitoneal carbon dioxide gas following laparoscopy for adnexal masses: Residual gas volume assessment and postoperative outcome analysis

Free residual gas after laparoscopy may cause shoulder pain, decreasing patient satisfaction with the procedure. We analyzed the correlation between postoperative residual carbon dioxide gas and shoulder pain, explored the peri- and postoperative factors associated with residual carbon dioxide and determined the effects of the use of a drainage tube. A cohort of 326 patients who underwent laparoscopic adnexal surgery between March 2005 and June 2018 at a teaching hospital in Korea was retrospectively analyzed through a medical records review. The enrolled patients were divided into 1-, 2-, and 3-port groups. The right volume, left volume, and total volume of residual gas were calculated using a formula based on measurements obtained from chest X-rays. Continuous variables were compared using Student t tests. Categorical variables were compared with the chi-square test or Kruskal–Wallis test. The total volumes of postoperative residual carbon dioxide gas were significantly different between the 1- and 2-port groups and between the 1- and 3-port groups (157.3 ± 179.2 vs 25.1 ± 92.3 mL and 157.3 ± 179.2 vs 12.9 ± 36.4 mL, respectively). The volume of residual gas and the time to the first passage of gas were positively correlated. The total volume of residual gas was more strongly correlated with the operative wound pain score than with the shoulder pain score. Additionally, the pre- and postoperative white blood cell counts, postoperative hospitalization duration, residual carbon dioxide volume, and shoulder pain score were significantly different between patients with and without a drainage tube. Although the volume of residual gas was not correlated with the shoulder pain score, the author found that both were lower in patients with a drainage tube than in those without, indicating that a drainage tube could be safely used to decrease residual gas volume and the shoulder pain score without increasing the risk of postoperative infection.