Pharmacotherapeutic pain management in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A review

Abstract

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is widely performed because it results in a relatively easier pain management and shorter hospital stay. Although postoperative pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy tends to be less intense compared to that following open cholecystectomy, early discomfort from operation after laparoscopy can be similar or even more intense than after open surgery. Consequently, it remains a source of apparent pain and surgical stress. Thus, proactive pain control is a priority for both patients and doctors. A considerable amount of new research about pain and pain management has been documented in the literature over the last 2 decades. In addition, novel medications and technologies for acute pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy have been investigated for patient care. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of patients still have excessively high pain levels after laparoscopic surgery. Acute pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is complicated in nature and has multiple causes; therefore, a single treatment modality is rarely sufficient. A combined approach to pain management is often the best option. In this review, the wide range of pharmacotherapeutic agents that have been used to control pain after laparoscopic surgery are critically assessed. The article also focuses on new techniques and medications that have been investigated in recent years to manage pain after laparoscopic surgery as quickly and safely as possible.