A simple and effective way to reduce postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Effect of drainage on postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The effect of drains in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
The aims of this study were to see if laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with a similar postoperative pain pattern to gynaecological laparoscopy and to see whether the use of a suprahepatic suction drain makes recovery from laparoscopic cholecystectomy more comfortable. After routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy and insertion of a suprahepatic suction drain, patients were randomized to suction or no suction on the drain. The time course of the severity of wound, abdominal and shoulder tip pain was assessed by visual analogue scales administered in the morning and afternoon of the first 3 postoperative days. The control group had a high incidence of shoulder tip pain similar to that after gynaecological laparoscopy. Patients in the treatment group reported significantly less shoulder tip pain than the control group (O.R. 0.16, 95% CI, 0.06-0.40). There was a tendency for the treatment group to report reduced abdominal and, to a lesser extent, wound pain. The authors recommend suprahepatic suction as a simple and more effective way to improve patient comfort after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with a high incidence of postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting. Pneumoperitoneum created during the operation and residual gas after the operation are two of the factors in postoperative pain and nausea. We studied the effects of a subdiaphragmatic gas drain, which is intended to decrease the residual gas, on postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
                Seventy patients were randomized into two demographically and clinically comparable groups: drainage and control. Postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting were measured by verbal grading and visual analog scale 2-72 h postoperatively. Analgesic and antiemetic use and incidence of retching, vomiting and other complaints were also recorded.
                Subdiaphragmatic drain effectively reduced the incidence and amount of subdiaphragmatic gas bubble. The incidence and severity of nausea was lower in the drainage group at 72 h. Although severity of pain was lower at 8 and 12 h in the drainage group, the difference was not significant. There was also no difference between the groups in regard to analgesic and antiemetic use.
                Subdiaphragmatic drain offers only minor, if any, benefit on postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and this effect is probably clinically irrelevant. A prospective controlled randomized study was performed on 100 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy to evaluate the benefit of routine drainage in simple uncomplicated procedures. The 100 patients were randomized into two groups. Group 1 patients (n = 50) had a drain placed through the epigastric trocar site. The drain was removed before their discharge unless bile or blood was present. Group 2 patients (n = 50) did not have a drain placed. Eleven patients in group 2 (no drain) (22%) were discharged on the same day of surgery (within 8 h), and the remaining 89 patients in both groups were discharged the day after surgery (within 23 h). There were no wound infections or postoperative fever in either group. There were minor but not statistically significant differences between the two groups in postoperative severity and duration of abdominal pain, shoulder pain, and nausea. Furthermore, the two groups were similar in respect to postoperative recovery time and return to work.
Drain use after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy increases wound infection rates and delays hospital discharge. We could not find evidence to support the use of drain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.