title: Preoperative Gabapentin to Prevent Postoperative Shoulder Pain After Laparoscopic Ovarian Cystectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients undergoing gynecology laparoscopy frequently experience shoulder pain as a common postoperative complication. Considering diaphragm stimulation in its pathophysiology, there are some advice to prevent or control this special form of referral pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study aimed to assess the prophylactic effect of preoperative administration of oral gabapentin to prevent Post Laparoscopic Shoulder Pain (PLSP) after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial 40 female patients who were candidates to have elective laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy, received uniformed capsules containing gabapentin 600 mg or placebo 30 minutes before anesthesia induction. All patients had the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status of I-II and none had pervious abdominal surgery. Thereafter, the presence of side effects and PLSP and its severity was assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) in the beginning of surgery and 2, 6, 12 hours after the surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing the gabapentin (n = 20) and placebo (n = 20) groups, basic characteristics including age (P = 0.446), Body Mass Index (BMI) (P = 0.876), pregnancy history (P = 0.660), and surgery time (P = 0.232) were statistically similar. PLSP occurrence was less frequent in the gabapentin group (45%) compared with the placebo group (75%) (P = 0.053), while In gabapentin group the VAS scores were lower in 2(P = 0.004), 6 (P = 0.132), and 12 (P = 0.036) hours, post operatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prophylactic gabapentin administration could be considered as an effective and safe intervention to reduce occurrence and severity of PLSP after gynecologic laparoscopic cystectomy.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Women Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valadan
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Women Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sakineh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banifatemi
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology and Critical Care Department, Women Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fardin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yousefshahi
keywords: Gabapentin; Laparoscopy; Shoulder Pain; Visual Analog Scale