Introduction: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy uses carbon dioxide (CO2) which affects the respiratory, cardiovascular and renal system. The residual CO2 induces phrenic nerve irritation, manifesting as shoulder and abdominal pain. Recruitment maneuvers opens the lungs and helps expelling this residual carbon dioxide. However, there are limited studies on its role to hemodynamics especially in patients undergoing abdominal laparoscopic procedures. Methods: Sixty patients (51 15.1) scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy under General Endotracheal Anesthesia were randomly allocated to two groups. The control group (Group C) underwent standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures. The experimental group (Group R) was placed in a Trendelenburg and was given 4-5 manual pulmonary inflations at a pressure of 40cmH20. The blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation, as well as the post operative site pain and shoulder pain were measured using the Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) were monitored at 0, 1 and 2 hours post operatively. Results: The demographics and preoperative vital signs were comparable. The mean systolic blood pressure [119.5 vs 131.5; p=0.002], mean arterial pressure [91.8 vs 95.3; p=0.049], heart rate [74.9 vs 87.5; p <0.001] and respiratory rate [15.7 vs 16.2; p=0.02] were all differrent only during the immediate post operative period. The mean shoulder pain was lower in Group R immediately [1.9 ± 1.2; p=0.01] and 1 hour after surgery [0.7 ± 0.8; p=0.01]. Conclusion Recruitment maneuver significantly reduces the shoulder pain scores after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It causes a decrease in blood pressure, heart rate and mean arterial pressure in the immediate post operative period.
Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Shoulder Pain ; Hemodynamics ; Carbon Dioxide