[Postoperative analgesia--a comparative study in laparoscopic cholecystectomy and lower abdominal laparotomy]

From September 1992 through February 1993 27 randomly chosen female patients were evaluated for differences in postoperative pain intensity (as determined by visual-analogue-scale (VAS)) and analgesic requirements via patient-controlled-analgesia (PCA), either after open lower-abdominal-laparotomy (n = 16, group 1) or after minimal-invasive-cholecystectomy (n = 11, group 2). The type of anaesthesia has been standardized, either as balanced or total intravenous anaesthesia. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding to age, height, weight, intraoperative anaesthetic drug consumption, or duration of anaesthesia and surgery (205.6 vs 185.5 minutes; 139.1 vs 105.0 minutes). All patients could be extubated while still in the operation theatre. The 10-hour study period started after transfer to the recovery room. Heart- and respiratory-rate, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, endtidal pCO2, oxygen-saturation via pulsoxymetry (SaO2), and demands from PCA-pump were recorded, furthermore pain scores were determined every hour. The VAS-scores showed no significant differences between the two groups. The pain level as a whole was low, with the scores ranging from a maximum of 23.4 mm (group 1 after the first hour) to a minimum of 1.8 min (group 2 after 5, 8 an 10 hours). The overall analgesic requirements differed significantly (37.7 vs 17.3 mg piritramid, p < .01). There was a difference throughout the whole study period, although statistically significant only at the 1., 2. (p < .05), 5. and 6.-8. hour (p < .01). This study showed that pain scores were similar after laparoscopic upper or open lower abdominal surgery, both requiring adequate analgesic therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)