Feasibility of local infiltration anaesthesia for recurrent groin hernia repair

To describe the the feasibility of and patients' satisfaction with day case repair of recurrent inguinal hernias under unmonitored local anaesthesia.

Prospective study.

Public service university hospital, Denmark.

All patients with a reducible recurrent inguinal or femoral hernia unselectedly referred for elective repair during the 4-year period 1 September 1994 to 31 August 1998.

Data were collected prospectively and consecutively from standardised, detailed files, a questionnaire 4 weeks postoperatively, and the Copenhagen Hospitals electronic patient data management system.

Feasibility of local anaesthesia in the day case setting, patient satisfaction and morbidity.

215 consecutive operations for recurrent hernias were performed under unmonitored local anaesthesia. No conversion to general anaesthesia took place and no patients developed urinary retention. After 207 operations, the patients were discharged on the day of operation (96%), and the median time from the end of operation to discharge was 90 minutes (IQR 75-140). After 6 operations (3%), patients had complications that required surgical intervention. The 4-week questionnaire was returned after 208 operations (97%). 30 patients were dissatisfied, mainly because of intraoperative pain (17 patients, 8%). No mortality or cardiopulmonary morbidity was recorded during the first 30 days postoperatively.

Open day-case repair of recurrent inguinal hernias can safely be conducted under unmonitored local anaesthesia with minimal morbidity. Intraoperative pain is the main topic that requires improvement.