Abdominal pain after laparoscopy: the value of a gas drain

1471-0528

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Summary. In an attempt to reduce pain after laparoscopy, a drain was left for 6 h in the peritoneal cavity through the umbilical incision to take advantage of visceral peristaltic and voluntary muscle movements to expel residual gas. In a randomized study 25 treated patients were compared with 28 controls. Use of the drain was found to approximately halve the frequency of pain throughout the first 2 postoperative days. The severity of pain was also significantly reduced in the first 6 h and after mobilization at home the next day when pain is usually at its worst.

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