Indomethacin as adjunct analgesia following open cholecystectomy

Fifty patients scheduled for elective cholecystectomy were randomised to receive either indomethacin suppositories 200 mg p.r. at the end of anaesthesia, followed by 100 mg bd for three days, or placebo suppositories according to the same regimen. All patients were given intravenous pethidine via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) postoperatively. The mean dose of pethidine required by the patients in the indomethacin group was significantly less than that used by the placebo group, the cumulative dose after three days being 530.7 mg (SD 664.0) and 1151.0 mg (682.0) for the indomethacin and placebo groups respectively. At the same time the patients in the indomethacin group had lower pain scores both at rest and with movement, though this was only statistically significant on the first day on movement. There was no statistical difference between the groups with respect to the incidence of nausea, indigestion, proctitis, volume of drainage from the wound drain, or width of bruising around the wounds. Serum creatinine levels were compared pre- and postoperatively where possible and showed no change in either group.