Pain With Differing Insufflation Pressures During Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

This is a prospective, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial in which participants undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to undergo surgery with peritoneal insufflation pressure set to 15 mmHg (standard) or 12 mmHg (comparison). Randomization was performed using computer-generated permuted blocks of four participants. All participants on the first postoperative day will be asked to rate their pain with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). At a postoperative visit 2 weeks after surgery, all participants will be asked to complete the VAS again. The highest preoperative pain (up to 2 hours before surgery) and immediate postoperative pain, using the VAS, in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) will be recorded. All participants will be planned for discharge from PACU. Age, body mass index, gynecologic diagnosis, medical history, and preoperative analgesia or opioid use will be extracted from the medical records by trained research staff and entered into a secure electronic database. Preoperative analgesia and opioid saw will be verified with active prescription records at the time of surgery. After surgery, analgesic doses, operative time, additional procedures performed, conversion to laparotomy or increased insufflation pressure, estimated blood loss, and length of stay will be recorded.