[Treatment of inguinal hernia under local anesthesia at the Central University Hospital of Lome]

In our search study, we were allowed to do 74 opérations of inguinal hernia (71 indirect and 3 femoral hernia). All these patients were operated under local anaesthesia with zylocaine 2%. The dose was between 4 to 40 ml. After surgery, the patients were hospitalised for différent times beginning from 3 hours up to 28 days. The post operative care was done in the out clinics. 53 of our patients left in the same day of the operation (71.62%); 3 the second day of the operation (4.05%); 7 after 72 hours (9.45%). Eleven patients were afraid and refused to leave there beds using some medical causes (14.86%). The for home of some patients was also the cause of passing long time in the hospital. No surgied complications were detected. The single death registered in our serie was not due to this method of anaesthesia. It was a hypertensive patient with severe cardiac insufficiency refused by general anaesthesia. Not single anomaly was noticed by the monitor during operation, also the electrocardiogram didn't change during injection. The death was on the 3rd day post-operative and was bind to the previous cardiac condition of the patient (autopsy was not practical). We must put in mind this line of treatment which minimises complications for the resolution of insufficient materials and instruments.