Outcomes of Inguinal Hernia Repair Under Local Anesthesia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of inguinal hernia repair under local anesthesia in terms of
post-operative wound pain and post-operative hospital stay.
Methods: This study included all 140 consecutive adult patients who were fulfilling the inclusion
criteria and treated with surgery for an inguinal hernia under local anesthesia by using the
Lichtenstein open mesh hernioplasty technique between 24 December 2014 to 24 June 2015.
The primary endpoint was the early post-operative pain and the objectivity of pain was assessed
by visual analogue scale (VAS) 6 hours post-operatively and the secondary endpoint was the
hospitals stay measured in hours.
Results: There were no post-operative deaths and no major systemic complications. In our
study, out of 140 Patients, all were male (100%) with their mean age of 41.44, SD ±12.75 years. 80
patients (57.2%) were having right sided unilateral inguinal hernias while 60 patients (42.8%)
having left sided unilateral inguinal hernias while 30 patients (21.42%) were diagnosed as having
direct inguinal hernias while 110 patients (78.58%) were having indirect inguinal hernias, Mean
VAS score at 6 hours post-operatively was noted as 2.36, SD ±1.04 with maximum VAS pain
score 5 and minimum score was 1,after 6 hrs of surgery, while the mean hospital stay in all the
patients post-operatively was found to be as 6.36 hours, SD ±0.59 hours.
Conclusions: Lichtenstein open tension free mesh hernioplasty under local anesthesia is safe, feasible and effective technique. With this approach, there is reduced early post-operative pain and the hospital stay