RESUMO
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.