The Effect of Low Pressure Pneumoperitoneum During Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery on Early Quality of Recovery

RECOVER Study: the Effect of Low- Versus Normal Pressure Pneumoperitoneum During Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery on the Early Quality of Recovery With Perioperative Care According to the Enhanced Recovery Principles

Randomised controlled trial comparing the effect of low pressure pneumoperitoneum with deep neuromuscular block versus normal pressure pneumoperitoneum with moderate neuromuscular block during laparoscopic colorectal surgery on early quality of recovery.

Rationale: the laparoscopic approach reduced trauma as compared to open surgery, however, the pressure used to create a PNP with sufficient surgical workspace still leads to significant tissue injury. Prior studies show that the use of low-pressure pneumoperitoneum (PNP) during laparoscopic surgery reduced postoperative pain scores, cumulative opioid consumption and improved bowel function recovery. Deep neuromuscular blockade (NMB) as compared to moderate NMB decreases the amount of intra-abdominal pressure required to achieve similar surgical conditions and enables the use of low-pressure PNP without compromising the quality of the surgical field and patient safety. Therefore, the use of deep NMB with low-pressure PNP could be a significant addition to the conventional Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.

Objective: to establish the relationship between the use of low pressure pneumoperitoneum with deep neuromuscular blockade and the early quality of recovery after laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Study design: a multi-center, blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Study population: adult individuals scheduled for laparoscopic colorectal surgery with a primary colonic anastomosis.

Intervention: participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion to either the experimental group (group A): low pressure PNP (8 mmHg) with deep NMB (PTC 1-2) or the control group (group B): normal pressure PNP (12 mmHg) with moderate NMB (TOF count 1-2).

Primary endpoint: Quality of recovery score (QoR-40) 24 hours after surgery.

Secondary endpoints: QoR-40 score (day 3 and 7 after surgery), McGill pain- and RAND-36 score (1 day before and 3 months after surgery), pain scores, PONV, analgesia use, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications, surgical conditions and time to reach discharge criteria.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Scheduled for laparoscopic colorectal surgery with a primary anastomosis
• Obtained informed consent
• Age over 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Insufficient control of the Dutch language to read the patient information and to fill out the questionnaires
• Primary colostomy
• Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy
• Chronic use of analgesics or psychotropic drugs
• Use of NSAIDs shorter than 5 days before surgery
• Known or suspected allergy to rocuronium of sugammadex
• Neuromuscular disease
• Indication for rapid sequence induction
• Severe liver- or renal disease (creatinine clearance <30ml/min)
• BMI >35 kg/m²
• Deficiency of vitamin K dependent clotting factors or coagulopathy