Shoulder tip pain after cesarean section: General versus spinal anesthesia

Shoulder tip pain is a common but overlooked complication during the postoperative cesarean section. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the anesthesia method and the incidence of shoulder tip pain.

In this randomized clinical study, 117 patients who underwent cesarean section were divided into two groups as spinal anesthesia and general anesthesia. The demographic characteristics, the presence, the severity of shoulder tip pain, and also analgesic consumption in the first 24 hours were compared.

The incidence of shoulder tip pain was significantly higher in the spinal anesthesia group than in the general anesthesia group (p = 0.032). While there was no statistically significant difference in terms of the number of patients who needed opioid treatment within the first 24 hours between patients with and without STP, a statistically significant difference was observed in terms of the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (P < 0.001).

This study shows that the frequency and severity of shoulder pain are higher in women who have had cesarean section under spinal anesthesia, compared to those who had received general anesthesia.