News: Simple maneuver reduces postlaparoscopy shoulder pain

Article

After laparoscopic surgery, a simple pulmonary recruitment maneuver reduces shoulder pain.

A simple pulmonary recruitment maneuver reduces residual abdominal carbon dioxide after laparoscopic surgery, thereby reducing shoulder pain, according to the results of a randomized controlled trial.

Researchers from California, Turkey, and Germany included in their study 116 women scheduled for elective gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. Approximately half of the women received the current standard of care with residual CO2 removed by passive deflation of the abdominal cavity through the cannula (controls). The remaining women were placed in a Trendelenburg position (30°) at the end of surgery and received five manual inflations of their lung.

Postoperative pain scores were significantly higher in the control group than in the intervention group at 12, 24, and 36 hours after discharge. At 48 hours postdischarge, 83% of the control group reported shoulder pain versus 63% of the intervention group. In addition, the maneuver reduced positional pain by about 50% (from 63% to 31%; P<.05), and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting by more than 50% (from 56.5% to 20.4%; P<.001).

Recent Videos
Revi System shows efficacy against urgency urinary incontinence | Image Credit: ics.org.
1 expert is featured in this series.
Researchers highlight risks of breastfeeding while taking Levetiracetam | Image Credit: uwaterloo.ca.
Ipek Ensari, PhD, highlights improved mental health in chronic pelvic pain from physical activity | Image Credit: scholars.mssm.edu
New pSNM system empowers patients in urge urinary incontinence treatment | Image Credit: trinityhealthmichigan.org.
Jannah Thompson, MD, highlights battery free device for UUI management | Image Credit: trinityhealthmichigan.org
Anietie Aliu, PhD, highlights racial barriers to breast cancer screening | Image Credit: bbc.com.
Anietie Aliu, PhD, discusses how to improve breast cancer screening disparities | Image Credit: bbc.com
Jennifer Payne, MD, highlights how to help young women with perimenopause symptoms | Image Credit: uvahealth.com/findadoctor.
Perimenopausal symptoms in young women discussed by Jennifer Payne, MD | Image Credit: uvahealth.com/findadoctor.
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.