PAIN RELIEF AFTER PELVIC-LAPAROSCOPIC INT ERVENTIONS BY INSUFFLATION OF CO2 GAS AT BODY-TEMPERATURE (FLOW-THERME)

Intraabdominal pain, shoulder pain and tachycardia are observed after pelviscopic interventions. Recent publications blame this on hypotherm ia caused by. the CO2 gas used. The authors discuss in detail the phys ics of the problems connected with the heating of CO2 gas. The heating of carbon dioxide gas to 37-degrees-C in the heating tube of the WISA P(R)-Flow-Therme will not only reduce intra-operative hypothermia (dow n to 28-degrees-C intra-abdominally and 34-degrees-C in the rectum) bu t also the occurrence of tachycardia (reduced by 40 % to 11 %). Heatin g will also result in reduced CO2 consumption, which is also of ecolog ical significance. As a result of the overall improvement of the femal e patients' perception of pain there is a significant reduction in pos toperative palliative medication required by 31 %. The physical laws a nd data permit fitting the WISAP(R) Universal Flow Therme to all comme rcially available CO2 gas insufflators. The rinse water, as an additio nal factor causing hypothermia, should be preheated to 40-degrees-C (W ISAP(R) water bath).