A prospective comparison of local and spinal anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair.
OBJECTIVE
Today, in inguinal hernia repair, postoperative pain and costs are regarded as equally important issues as technique and recurrence rates. Postoperative pain is thought to vary according to the applied anesthesia method. As local anesthesia is reported to inflict less pain, its effects on early period post-operative complications should also be evaluated.


METHODS
Two hundred patients, on whom Lichtenstein tension free hernia repair had been performed due to unilateral inguinal hernia between March 2004 and July 2005, were prospectively examined. The patients were randomized according to the anesthesia applied. They were divided into two groups: local anesthesia (LA) and spinal anesthesia (SA). The early post-operative complications, post-operative pain scores, and operation durations of the patients, were evaluated.


RESULTS
Local anesthesia was found not to increase the post-operative complications; on the contrary, it was shown to prevent the complications of spinal anesthesia. Although visual analogue pain score (VAS) values at 4, 8, 12, and 24 h post-operation were found to be lower than the SA group, the difference between was not significant. Also, it was discovered that LA did not retard the operation duration.


CONCLUSIONS
Local anesthesia reduces post-operative pain and facilitates patients' mobilization and discharge along with decreasing the early post-operative complications. Thus, LA is a safe and advantageous method to be applied in inguinal hernia repair.
Gultekin
F Ayca
FA
Department of Surgery, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Kurukahvecioglu
Osman
O
Kuruahvecioglu
Osman
O
Karamercan
Ahmet
A
Ege
Bahadir
B
Ersoy
Emin
E
Tatlicioglu
Ertan
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome