Surgical endoscopy
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Helium vs carbon dioxide gas insufflation with or without saline lavage during laparoscopy.
Helium is an inert gas that, if used for insufflation during laparoscopy, may be followed by less postoperative pain than carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation, due to a more limited effect on intraabdominal pH and metabolism. Saline lavage has also recently been shown to reduce postoperative pain following laparoscopic surgery. To evaluate these possibilities and to better define the clinical safety of helium insufflation, we undertook a prospective randomized trial comparing CO2 and helium insufflation with or without saline lavage in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic upper abdominal surgery. ⋯ The use of helium insufflation for laparoscopic surgery, while not associated with any significant adverse sequelae, was not associated with less postoperative pain in this trial. The use of saline peritoneal lavage was associated with less pain in the early postoperative period.