Inguinal hernia repair with tension-free hernioplasty under local anesthesia

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of local anesthesia in tension-free hernioplasty in a local hospital.

METHODS: The study took place at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China during the period from January 2007 to May 2008. All 110 patients who had undergone inguinal hernia repair with mesh under local anesthesia were included in the study. To increase the homogeneity of the sample, we excluded umbilical hernia repairs, parastomal hernia repairs, non-elective procedures, procedures not involving mesh, and repairs performed concurrently with another surgical procedure. We performed a retrospective review of all 110 patients' data.

RESULTS: The average operating time was 45 minutes (30-70 minutes), and the average hospital stay was 3-4 days. There was no postoperative mortality in this study. No surgical site infection occurred. Two patients (18%) that suffered from a moderate scrotal hematoma had recovered after extract injection therapy was applied. The duration of incisional pain was 2-3 days, and no patient required post-operative analgesia. During the follow-up, no recurrence occurred.

CONCLUSION: The use of local anesthesia in inguinal hernia repair with tension-free hernioplasty is a safe and effective alternative for inpatient treatment.