Acute pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: prevention and anesthetic management in a public health system hospital

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the anesthetic techniques and medications used in the prevention and management of pain in a hospital that is part of the public health system Methods: This article is a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, based on the analysis of online medical records, regarding patients that underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the year 2022, at the Hospital Geral do Grajaú/SP. Results: It was observed the prevalence of general anesthesia, both balanced and total intravenous, to the detriment of the association with local or regional anesthesia. Regarding regular postoperative analgesia, there was a preference for multimodal analgesia, with the preferred regimen being the combination of simple analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and weak opioids. On-demand analgesia was prescribed in 75% of cases, the chosen drug, in most cases was a strong opioid. Lastly, the presence of postoperative pain was observed in only 15 cases Conclusion: Based on the data collected and analyzed together with the literature, it was possible to conclude that, despite some techniques and medications suggested not being widely used (notably regional anesthetic blocks, NMDA receptor antagonists and gabapentinoids), the techniques adopted by anesthesiologists at the analyzed hospital proved to be effective for the prevention and management of pain.