Local versus general anesthesia for Shouldice repair of the inguinal hernia

Since February 1992 local anesthesia (LA) has been used routinely for repair of inguinal hernias at our surgical department. All patients undergoing Shouldice repair of primary uncomplicated inguinal hernia between January 1990 and March 1993 were analyzed retrospectively concerning the need for analgesics, length of stay in hospital, and rate of complications. In addition 50 patients after LA and 50 patients after general anesthesia underwent prospective pain analysis using a visual analogous score and spirometric tests (FEV1 and peak flow). After LA we found less need of analgesics, shorter hospital stays, and fewer complications. The pain level was lower, and ventilatory function was less affected. Repair of the inguinal hernia using LA is a safe method to lower the risk of the operation and to improve the patient's comfort without increasing complications.