The incidence and pattern of postoperative muscle pains was studied in 155 healthy women undergoing outpatient laparoscopic surgery who were assigned randomly to one of five treatment groups. Group 1 (control) received thiopental and succinylcholine, 1 mg/kg, followed by enflurane and nitrous oxide. Group 2 received d-tubocurarine, 3 mg, followed by succinylcholine, 1.5 mg/kg, but was otherwise similar to Group 1. Groups 3 and 4 were similar to Group 1, but received propofol instead of thiopental, and Group 4 also received a variable-rate propofol infusion instead of enflurane. Finally, Group 5 was similar to Group 3, but received atracurium instead of succinylcholine. Muscle fasciculations were often observed in Groups 1, 3, and 4, but were attenuated in Group 2 and absent in Group 5. Overall, postoperative shoulder pain occurred in 81%, 72%, and 29% of patients on the first, second, and third postoperative days, respectively. The incidence of this symptom did not differ among the five groups. Neck pain occurred less frequently than shoulder pain in each group, and also occurred less often in Group 5 than in Group 1. Muscle stiffness occurred less often than muscle pain, and also occurred less frequently in Group 5 than in Group 1. In conclusion, succinylcholine contributes to neck pain and muscle stiffness after laparoscopic procedures. Compared to thiopental and enflurane, the use of propofol for induction and / or maintenance of anesthesia failed to alter the incidence of postlaparoscopic muscle pain or stiffness.
(Anesth Analg 1993;76:1181-4)
