Laparoscopy-induced shoulder pain after Cholecystectomy; May pulmonary recruitment manoeuver help?

Background: pulmonary recruitment manoeuver (prm) may reduce shoulder pain after laparoscopic surgery but it has not been studied for cholecystectomy. aim: to determine the effectiveness of prm in reducing laparoscopy-induced shoulder pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. methods: this randomised control trial was carried out at department of surgery,sheikh zaid hospital quetta from 1st january 2014 to 30th june 2014. sixty patients having indication for cholecystectomy were offered to be enrolled in the study. patients were randomly and equally assigned to treatment (prm) and placebo (no prm) groups. mean laparoscopy-induced shoulder pain score was measured and compared using visual analogue scale (vas) at 12 and 24 hours post operatively. results: sixty patients with mean age of 37.33±9.837 years were included. 43 (71.7%) were female while 17 (28.3%) were male. when mean pain scores were compared to determine the difference between groups,there was a significant difference in pain score at 12 hours (p < 0.05) but the difference was non-significant at 24 hours (p > 0.05). there was no difference between treatment and placebo regarding mean age,gender,mean duration of operation and body mass index. conclusion: it may be concluded that pulmonary recruitment manoeuver may help reduce early shoulder pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. this effectiveness does not persist long asthe difference in pain score was non-significant after 24 hours.