BACKGROUND:

Postoperative nausea and vomiting are significant problems in laparoscopic surgery. This double-blind, randomized, prospective trial compares the prophylactic use of metoclopramide, ondansetron, and placebo for the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

METHODS:

Two hundred thirty-two patients aged 18 to 73 years were randomized into three groups. Patients received intravenously 10 mg of metoclopramide, 4 mg of ondansetron, or placebo in a double-blinded manner prior to surgery.

RESULTS:

The incidence of nausea was 32% for metoclopramide, 45% for ondansetron, and 44% for placebo in the postanesthesia care unit or day surgery, which was not statistically significant. The incidence of vomiting was 8% for metoclopramide, 4% for ondansetron, and 22% for placebo in the postanesthesia care unit or day surgery. These differences were statistically significant when comparing both drugs to placebo but not when comparing both drugs to each other.

CONCLUSION:

Prophylactic administration of metoclopramide or ondansetron significantly reduces the incidence of postoperative vomiting for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but neither drug was found to be significantly more effective than the other. Metoclopramide is a more cost-effective treatment.