Study objective: To determine the effect of humidified and heated CO(2) for pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery on analgesic requirements, postoperative pain, and patient satisfaction.
Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study (Canadian Task Force classification I).
Setting: University hospital.
Patients: Ninety consecutive women scheduled for gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.
Intervention: Operative laparoscopic management of adnexa surgery or adhesiolysis.
Measurements and main results: Thirty consecutive patients were randomized into each study group. Group I received humidified, heated gas; group II dry, heated gas; and group III (control group) standard dry, cold gas. No significant difference in intraoperative and postoperative analgesic requirements or postoperative pain score between group I and group II was found. There was even a tendency (not significant) toward less pain and higher postoperative satisfaction in patients in the control group. Therefore, the evaluation was stopped after 53 patients.
Conclusion: The use of humidified, heated gas did not reduce postoperative pain or intraoperative analgesic requirements and is thus not preferable to standard dry, cold gas in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.