Shoulder‐Tip Pain After Laparoscopic Surgery: A Narrative Review of Intraperitoneal Anaesthesia

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Shoulder‐tip pain is a common and distressing side effect following laparoscopic surgery. Standard systemic analgesic regimens are used to manage postoperative pain but are often associated with side effects such as nausea and vomiting. There is some evidence to support a reduction in insufflation pressure to lessen shoulder‐tip pain. This narrative review examined the efficacy of intraperitoneal anaesthesia on shoulder‐tip and overall pain after laparoscopic surgery. Methods Relevant literature was identified through database searches containing terms related to intraperitoneal anaesthesia, insufflation pressure, laparoscopic surgery, shoulder‐tip pain and postoperative pain. Results Most studies evaluating intraperitoneal local anaesthesia used bupivacaine or ropivacaine. There was a wide variety of surgical procedures with limited reporting of shoulder‐tip pain. Mixed results were found regarding the efficacy of intraperitoneal anaesthesia