The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the effect of drainage on postoperative shoulder and abdominal pain after uncomplicated laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy (LOC). Allocation to drain or not to drain was non-randomised. There were 55 patients with drainage and 56 patients without drainage. Postoperative shoulder and abdominal pain was assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale. Postoperative hospital stay in the drainage group was longer than the non-drainage group (p = 0.040). Postoperative shoulder pain scores at 6 h and 24 h were similar between the drainage and non-drainage groups (p = 0.376 and p = 0.847, respectively). Postoperative abdominal pain was higher in the drainage group at 6 h (p = 0.009), but was similar at 24 h (p = 0.097) between the groups. These data suggest that for LOC, drainage may not be useful to prevent postoperative shoulder pain and also increases postoperative abdominal pain and length of hospital stay.