POSTOPERATIVE FATIGUE AFTER LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

Postoperative fatigue (POF) appears to be less following laparoscopic surgery but this has not been proven previously. This study compared a group of patients who had undergone open cholecystectomy with a group undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Postoperative fatigue was fo und to be decreased in duration in the patients having laparoscopic su rgery, returning to pre-operative fatigue levels by 14 days, compared to 28 days for open surgery. Postoperative pain in the first 24h and t he early metabolic response to surgery were similar for both groups. T he authors conclude that laparoscopic surgery is associated with decre ased POF and that this is unlikely to be accounted for by a decrease i n the early metabolic response to surgery.