The effect of CO2 insufflation rate on the postlaparoscopic shoulder pain

Shoulder pain (SP) is frequently mentioned in recent literature following laparoscopic operations. In the literature, many causes have been declared to explain shoulder pain after CO2 insufflation, such as direct peritoneal irritation of the CO2 gas, excessive traction of the triangular ligament, and overstretching of the diaphragmatic muscle fibers due to the high rate of insufflation. This study was planned as multicentric, and 76 patients, aged between 35 to 45, were entered into the study. They were all selected by a randomized sampling method, with equal numbers of men and women, to achieve true evaluation. The low flow-rate (LFR) group was insufflated with 2.5 L/min and the high flow-rate (HFR) group with 7.5 L/min. All cases were evaluated by subjective pain classification on postoperative day 3. According to the subjective pain scale method, shoulder pain average was 23.9+/-3.1 in the LFR group and 55.4+/-6.5 in the HFR group. The difference between these groups was significant (p > 0.01). There is no significant difference for the operation time (LFR%: 64+/-15 minutes, HFR: 61+/-20 minutes, p > 0.05). Our results suggest that there is a significant statistical relation between the postoperative shoulder pain levels and increased insufflation rates. For this reason, low insufflation rate significantly reduces the shoulder pain but does not increase the operation time. Therefore, a low insufflation rate should be applied in all cases for patients' comfort and safety.