Pneumoperitoneum is one of the most critical components of laparoscopic surgery, which has a negative effect on gas exchange and stress to circulatory buffering system. One of the top priorities of laparoscopic technologies is to minimize the impact on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, metabolic dynamics and compensatory abilities of homeostasis. The main goal of this research work is to compare the effects of carboxyperitoneum and argonoperitoneum on the intraoperative dynamics of CO2 concentration as well as cardiovascular and respiratory characteristics in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for various forms of cholelithiasis. Materials and methods. Four experimental groups involved patients based on their nosological form of cholelithiasis and the gas used to induce pneumoperitoneum. All patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy by means of standard procedure. Either medical carbon dioxide or medical argon was used to induce pneumoperitoneum. Intraoperative monitoring of blood carbon dioxide levels PaCO2 was performed by taking venous blood every 15 minutes. Capnometry was performed by means of mainstream analysis using “BIOMED” BM1000C modular patient monitor by recording the discrete values of PetCO2 every 15 minutes, as well as by analyzing photocopies of capnography curves every 15 minutes. Intraoperative echocardiography was performed to identify the mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (CO) in order to assess the effects of different types of pneumoperitoneum on the cardiovascular system. Results. The obtained data confirm the expected difference in the indices of cardiorespiratory functions between patients with acute cholecystitis and cholelithiasis without signs of inflammation. The investigation revealed that under the influence of pneumoperitoneum, heart rate and mean arterial pressure increase, while the cardiac output decreases. The respiratory pressure marker depends more on the intra-abdominal pressure and presumably the patient’s body type than on the presence of inflammatory syndrome. Argon insufflation has a slight negative impact on the cardiovascular system. Particularly, the mean arterial pressure and heart rate increase, while the cardiac output marker is less decreased as compared to the use of carbon dioxide. Abdominal pressure has a significant effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems regardless of the used type of gas. The combination of high intra-abdominal pressure with the elevated head end of the operating table, which is a common practise during cholecystectomy, has especially great influence on cardiovascular and respiratory functions. Operation which is carried out at decreased pressure allows reducing the deviations of practically all indices. Conclusions. Thus, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems adapt under the influence of pneumoperitoneum, providing compensation for the negative effects of mechanical and resorptive-metabolic character. Compensatory-adaptive abilities of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems increase with the decrease of intra-abdominal pressure. The use of argon as a working gas for insufflation into the abdominal cavity during laparoscopy reduces the negative impact of pneumoperitoneum on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, providing a greater reserve of homeostatic and buffer systems of the body.

Objective. To advance the patients’ rehabilitation after laparoscopic surgeries by using insufflation with argon gas for pneumoperitoneum formation. Methods. The given study is the investigation of sequentially admitted 360patients with gallstone disease (cholelithiasis). The patients have been randomly divided into 4 groups: Group1 - uncomplicated gallstone disease, carboxyperitoneum (n=192); Group1a - acute cholelithiasis (n=37), carboxyperitoneum; Group2 - uncomplicated gallstone disease, argonperitoneum (n=102); Group2a - acute cholelithiasis (n=29), argonoperitoneum. All the patients have undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Subjective assessment of the pain syndrome intensity has been studied on the basis of patient-reported outcomes questionnaire according to the visual analogue scale (VAS), need for analgesic injections, presence and intensity of the shoulder pain syndrome as well as the duration of in-patient treatment. Results. In accordance with patient-reported outcomes (with argonperitoneum application) subjective pain sensation has proved to decrease by 1.5-2 fold. On the first day of the postoperative period both in uncomplicated gallstone disease and in acute cholelithiasis, argonperitoneum has statistically significantly reduced the need for analgesics. Pain in the shoulder girdle (omalgia) was observed in 48.9% of the patients having been applied carboxyperitoneum whereas it was noticed in only 5.3% of the patients having been applied argonperitoneum during the operation. Argonperitoneum application statistically significantly reduces in-patient treatment period by 30% (from 2.3 - to 1.6 days) in uncomplicated gallstone disease and by 23% (from 4.3 - to 3.3 days) in gallstone disease complicated by acute cholelithiasis. Conclusion. Application of argon for pneumoperitoneum formation in laparoscopic cholecystectomies reliably reduces pain syndrome intensity in the postoperative period. The number of postoperative omalgia cases is reduced by 42% in patients having undergone cholecystectomies with argonperitoneum application. Application of argonperitoneum in management of patients with cholelithiasis may reduce the hospitalization period by 25-30%. What this paper adds The effect of argon application as an insufflation gas in laparoscopic operations upon the intensity of the postoperative pain syndrome has been studied for the first time. Argonperitoneum application has been found to improve the postoperative course by reducing pain irritation. Argon application leads to reduce analgesics consumption.

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