Impact of Acetazolamide in Reducing Referred Postoperative Pain

Robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) is the standard treatment for prostate cancer, due to the benefits of decreased blood loss and length of stay.The procedure involves removing a man's prostate using a minimally invasive robotic approach under the guidance of a surgeon. In order to gain sufficient access, carbon dioxide (CO2) is used to fill the surgical space in a process termed insufflation. Carbon dioxide is a mainstay in laparoscopic procedures because it is cost-effective, noncombustible and readily excreted via the respiratory system in healthy patients.

Insufflation with CO2, however, has been linked to post-operative referred pain secondary to peritoneal acidosis.This acidosis is suspected to be due to the formation of carbonic acid from the CO2 insufflation.Peritoneal acidosis, and its associated post-operative referred pain, may not be adequately treated with the current standard pain control regimen.