A randomized, prospective comparison of pain after gasless laparoscopy and traditional laparoscopy

Study Objective. To compare pain after laparoscopic tubal ligation by gasless laparoscopy versus carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum. Design. Prospective, randomized, single-blind comparison (Canadian Task Force classification I). Setting. Private obstetric-gynecology hospital associated with a university resident teaching program. Patients. Women age 21 to 42. Intervention. Single-puncture laparoscopic tubal ligation was performed with a silicone elastomer band. Gasless laparoscopy was performed with a Laprolift and traditional laparoscopy with CO2 pneumoperitoneum. Postoperative pain in the shoulder and periumbilical and lower pelvic regions was measured by visual analog scale on the day of surgery and postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14. Measurements and Main Results. Of the 67 patients, 54 provided visual analog scales for analysis, 30 in the gasless group and 24 in the traditional group. No statistical difference was seen in scores for shoulder, periumbilical, and pelvic pain between techniques. Conclusion. Patients undergoing gasless laparoscopy and traditional laparoscopy experience similar postoperative pain.