What is a common postoperative complaint after laparoscopic procedures?

Shoulder pain is a common postoperative complaint after laparoscopic procedures due to the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) for insufflation of the abdominal cavity. During laparoscopic surgery, CO2 is introduced to create a working space for surgeons to visualize and access the internal organs. This gas can irritate the diaphragm, which shares nerve pathways with the shoulder, leading to referred pain in that area.

Patients may experience this referred pain after becoming aware of stimuli from the abdomen that can manifest as discomfort in the shoulder. This is particularly noticeable when the diaphragm is stimulated, causing the pain to be felt in the shoulder region. It’s an important phenomenon to recognize, as the mechanism behind it relates to the anatomical connections of the nerves involved.

Other postoperative complaints, while they may occur, are less commonly associated with laparoscopic procedures specifically. Issues like chest pain or back pain may arise due to various reasons, but they do not have the same direct connection with the procedure itself as shoulder pain does. Thus, shoulder pain is a typical and recognizable outcome post-laparoscopic surgeries, making it the correct answer.