Intraperitoneal Ketamine Versus Fentanyl as Adjuvants to Bupivacaine in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard surgical treatment for gallbladder stones; however, the origin of pain after LC is multifactorial and complex in nature. Pain arising from incision sites is parietal pain, whereas pain from the gall bladder bed is mainly visceral in nature, and shoulder pain is mainly referred owing to the residual carbon dioxide irritating the diaphragm. Intraperitoneal administration of local anesthetics has been shown to improve postoperative pain control and reduce the need for systemic analgesics. The addition of adjuvant agents such as fentanyl or ketamine may further enhance analgesic efficacy. This randomized double-blind study aims to compare the effectiveness of intraperitoneal ketamine versus fentanyl as adjuvants to bupivacaine in reducing postoperative pain and analgesic requirements following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.