EFFECT OF REGIONAL VS. GENERAL ANESTHESIA ON POSTOPERATIVE PAIN IN LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY: A PROSPECTIVE RCT

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a prevalent surgical procedure, and optimal postoperative pain management remains a critical concern. This prospective randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the effects of regional anesthesia (RA) versus general anesthesia (GA) on postoperative pain in patients undergoing elective LC. A total of 120 patients were randomized equally into two groups: RA group received spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine, while GA group received standard general anesthesia. Postoperative pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-surgery. The RA group demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores at all time points (p<0.001), with mean scores at 2 hours being 2.1±0.5 compared to 4.3±0.7 in the GA group. Additionally, the RA group required fewer rescue analgesics (p=0.002) and experienced shorter time to ambulation (p=0.01). No significant differences were observed in intraoperative complications between the groups. These findings suggest that RA provides superior postoperative analgesia and facilitates faster recovery compared to GA in LC patients.(PMC, SpringerLink)