Comparison of local, spinal, and general anaesthesia for inguinal herniorrhaphy

Objective: To compare local, spinal, and general anaesthesia for inguinal herniorraphy in otherwise healthy patients with respect to duration of operation, time in operating room, postoperative pain, complications, rehabilitation, and satisfaction. Design: Prospective randomised controlled trial. Setting: University hospital, Turkey. Subjects: Seventy-five men with unilateral primary inguinal hernias, Nyhus type II and III, and ASA I and II. Interventions: Lichtenstein repairs with standard local, spinal, or general anaesthesia. Main outcome measures: Duration of operation and anaesthesia, postoperative pain scores, analgesic requirements, complications, length of hospital stay, postoperative rehabilitation, and satisfaction. Results: With local anaesthesia, we recorded shorter time spent in the operating room, lower incidence of nausea and urinary retention, and more satisfaction. In the local and spinal anaesthetic groups, postoperative analgesic requirements and length of hospital stay were less than in the general anaesthesia group. Conclusions: Local anaesthesia is suitable for day-case hernia repair with fewer postoperative problems and less analgesia requirement. Patients also reported greater satisfaction. Local anaesthesia may be preferred to other methods.