Role of oral simethicone on postoperative pain and operative field during gynecological laparoscopies: a randomized double-blind study

Abstract

Background Simethicone is an oral antifoaming agent that reduces bloating, abdominal discomfort, and abdominal pain by promoting the clearance of excessive gas along the gastrointestinal tract. We hypothesized that preoperative oral simethicone has a good effect on the operative field and can improve postoperative analgesia after gynecological laparoscopies. Patients and methods Hundred infertile women scheduled for laparoscopy were randomized to receive oral simethicone tablets (group I) or placebo tablets (group II). The outcome measures were the pain scoring and overall exposure of the surgical field. Visual analogue scale was used for the assessment of postoperative pain. Assessment of the overall exposure of the surgical field was done using a five-point scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Results were reported as mean±SD, percentages, and ranges. Results Women in the simethicone group reported less pain and less need for postoperative supplementary analgesia. There was a statistically significant difference in the overall exposure of the surgical field between the two groups in favor of the simethicone group. Women in both groups reported a high rate of satisfaction with the whole preoperative preparation, postoperative care, and willingness to retake the same medication in the future. Conclusion Simethicone is an effective, safe preoperative preparation drug. It is associated with less postoperative pain, better bowel preparation, and a better surgical field exposure. It is a well-tolerated drug, with minimal adverse effects and a higher satisfaction rate. Larger studies with a larger sample size may be useful to confirm and validate our results.