BACKGROUNDPreoperative incisional local anaesthesia with ropivacaine is a common method of providing post-laparoscopy pain relief. The pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre also provides pain relief, but the combined effect of these two methods on pain following laparoscopic procedures has not been reported. We investigated the efficacy of combining local anaesthetic infiltration of ropivacaine with pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre on postoperative pain following diagnostic hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.

METHODSThis prospective, randomized, controlled study involved 60 patients divided into two groups (n = 30, each). Group 1 received 20 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine injected peri-incisionally preoperatively, with intra-abdominal carbon dioxide removed by passive deflation. Group 2 received 20 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine injected peri-incisionally with five manual inflations of the lungs with a positive-pressure ventilation of 40 cmH2O at the end of surgery. The last inflation was held for 5 seconds. The intensity of postoperative incisional and shoulder pain was evaluated using a numerical rating scale at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively by an independent blinded anaesthesiologist. Tramadol was given postoperatively for analgesia.

RESULTSCompared with group 1, incisional ropivacaine infiltration combined with pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre significantly reduced dynamic pain at 0 hour, 4 hours, and 24 hours postoperatively (4.1 ± 2.2 vs. 2.1 ± 1.9, P = 0.002; 2.7 ± 2.7 vs. 1.2 ± 1.3, P = 0.035; and 3.5 ± 2.1 vs. 2.1 ± 1.8, P = 0.03, respectively). Static incisional pain was significantly relieved at 0 hour, 2 hours, and 24 hours postoperatively (3.1 ± 1.7 vs. 1.6 ± 1.3, P = 0.001; 1.4 ± 1.3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.8, P = 0.012; and 2.3 ± 1.9 vs. 1.0 ± 1.5, P = 0.038, respectively). Group 2 had more patients without shoulder pain (P < 0.05) and fewer requiring tramadol (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRopivacaine with pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre provided simple and effective pain relief after diagnostic hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.