Authors: K Draper R Jefson R Jongeward Jr M McLeod
Publish Date: 2014/04/15
Volume: 11, Issue: 8, Pages: 809-811
Abstract
Background Patients who present with abdominal pain after recent laparoscopic surgery present a diagnostic dilemma when pneumoperitoneum is present Previous studies do not define the duration of postlaparoscopic pneumoperitoneum In this study we attempted to define the duration of laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum and to identify factors which affect resolution timeResults Thirty patients resolved their pneumoperitoneum within 24 h 16 patients resolved between 24 h and 3 days nine patients resolved between 3 and 7 days two patients resolved between 7 and 9 days Mean resolution time for all patients was 26 ± 21 days There was no apparent difference in resolution time between the three types of procedures however the sample size may be insufficient Duration of the pneumoperitoneum did not correlate with gender age weight initial volume of CO2 used length of time for the procedure or postoperative complications Sixteen patients had bile spillage during cholecystectomy which significantly reduced the duration of postoperative pneumoperitoneum p 0008 resulting in a mean resolution time of 13 ± 09 days While 14 patients reported postoperative shoulder pain no correlation was found between the presence or duration of shoulder pain and the extent or duration of pneumoperitoneumConclusions We conclude that the residual pneumoperitoneum following laparoscopic surgery resolves within 3 days in 81 of patients and within 7 days in 96 of patients The resolution time was significantly less in patients sustaining intraoperative bile spillage during cholecystectomy There was no correlation found between postoperative shoulder pain and the presence or duration of the pneumoperitoneum
Keywords: