Comparison of spinal anaesthesia versus ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block applied with tumescent anaesthesia for single-sided inguinal hernia

Ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block with local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia versus local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia prior to Shouldice inguinal hernia repair in adults: a retrospective matched-pair analysis among 100 individuals

PURPOSE

There is limited research on the impact of an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block on intraoperative opioid consumption when conducting groin hernia repair in adults. Thus, the aim was to evaluate ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block for groin hernia patients at Shouldice Hospital.

METHODS

The study was a pilot retrospective chart review on patients who underwent a Shouldice Repair from November 2023 to December 2023. This study compared individuals receiving an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block with local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia to those who received local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia, by manually matching 1:1 on 12 demographic and intraoperative characteristics. Comparison between groups was performed using chi-square/Fisher Exact test for categorical and t-test/Mann-Whitney test for numerical variables depending on data distribution. Multivariable regression analysis was used to examine predictors of intraoperative use of fentanyl.

RESULTS

In this study 50 matched pairs of unilateral primary inguinal hernia patients were analyzed. The ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block patients had lower recorded intraoperative fentanyl (85mcg less than control, p < .001) and dimenhydrinate (13 mg less than control, p < .001) than the control group patients. No differences were found in postoperative day 0 to 3 for acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and opioid consumption between the patients who did receive an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block prior to surgery and those that did not.

CONCLUSION

The administration of an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block prior to primary inguinal hernia repair using a Shouldice Repair is associated with a significantly lower intraoperative fentanyl consumption compared to non-administration.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of nerve block under ultrasound in ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric in children

BACKGROUND

Ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block (IINB) is a common operation in pediatric surgery. Nerve block under contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has the advantages of visualization and noninvasiveness, which creates conditions for its application in nerve block. It can significantly improve the success rate of nerve block and reduce the complications of nerve block. At present, few studies in China have analyzed the effect of nerve block guided by ultrasound technology compared with ordinary treatment.

METHODS

With "ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block", "ultrasonic examination of the children", and "ultrasonography for ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric" as the keywords, the related literature published before 2022 was searched. RevMan 5.3 and Stata provided by the Cochrane Collaboration were employed for analysis and evaluation. Begg's risk of bias was utilized to assess the risk bias of the included references. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the Q test and heterogeneity (I²).

RESULTS

Six studies were included, with a total of 391 cases. The overall risk (OR) of ilioinguinal/iliosubabdominal complications in children treated with nerve block after ultrasound examination was 0.49, and the complications of ilioventral/iliosubabdominal complications in children treated with nerve block after ultrasound examination were reduced. The OR of inhibiting pain events was 0.35, and the ilioinguinal/iliosubabdominal pain events were reduced after nerve block treatment by ultrasound examination. The OR of inhibiting adverse reactions was 0.45. After ultrasound examination, the adverse reactions of ilioinguinal/iliosubabdominal nerve block treatment were reduced, and there was no heterogeneity among the study groups (I²=0.00%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the meta-analysis confirmed that the complications of nerve block treatment after ultrasound examination were less than those of ordinary treatment. The incidence of pain events and adverse reactions in nerve block treatment were reduced after ultrasonography. Moreover, in terms of pain events, the effect of ultrasound guidance was significant. In short, in clinical studies, CEUS can be used to accurately evaluate complex situations and provide a more accurate reference for subsequent treatment.

Tension-free inguinal hernia repair with transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in elderly high-risk patients

BACKGROUND

Inguinal hernia repair is still being studied today because it is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the world and is used in people of all ages. Although many centers use spinal anesthetic to treat inguinal hernias, complications such as hypotension from peripheral vasodilation, delayed mobilization from paralysis, urine retention and post-spinal headache might occur. Regional blocks are a significant component of multimodal anaesthesia that promotes postoperative recovery. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a regional anesthetic block technique that is effective on the parietal peritoneum, skin, and anterior abdominal wall.

METHODS

This study aimed to show that TAP block administration may be done safely without the use of an extra anesthetic treatment, especially in older patients who may experience complications from general or spinal anesthesia. Without either general, spinal or epidural anesthetic, we conducted a tension-free - Lichtenstein - inguinal hernia repair operation with only TAP block application. This retrospective case-control study received ethics committee approval (decision number 21-5T/108). Between September and December 2019, patients who underwent elective Lichtenstein hernia repair in our clinic were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTS

We think that inguinal hernia repair can be safely performed with only TAP block and that TAP block application has fewer anaesthesia-related complications such as postspinal headache and urinary retention compared with spinal anaesthesia, and that it can be used as an alternative to spinal anaesthesia in patients who cannot tolerate general anaesthesia.

CONCLUSION

Even hernia surgery can be very challenging in patients with advanced age and comorbidities. We wanted to show the feasibility of the TAP block method as an alternative to anaesthesia in such patients.