Comparison of ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block versus spinal anesthesia for inguinal herniorrhaphy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the optimal anesthetic technique for use in elective herniorrhaphy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 126 inguinal hernia repairs. The patients were allocated to one of two groups: an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block group (IHNB group, n = 63) and spinal anesthesia group (SA group, n = 63). We recorded information about perioperative and postoperative parameters. RESULTS: There were statistically significant decreases in both mean arterial pressure and pulse rate in the SA group (P < 0.001). None of the patients in the IHNB group required recovery room care. Patients in the IHNB group initiated oral intake (0.31 +/- 0.1 h) more quickly than patients in the SA group (5.74 +/- 0.1 h) (P < 0.001). The time-to-home readiness was significantly lower (14.1 +/- 1.5h) in group IHNB, compared with group SA (42.8 +/- 5.3h) (P < 0.001). First rescue analgesic time postoperatively was 3.30 +/- 0.2 hours in group SA and 2.7 +/- 0.13 hours in group IHNB (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The use of IHNB for patients undergoing herniorrhaphy resulted in a shorter time-to-home readiness, quicker oral intake post surgery, and no need for recovery room care, when compared with the use of SA.

Spinal anesthesia in a patient with severe thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis.

Patients with spine abnormalities, present unique challenges to the health care provider responsible for administrating sedation and anesthesia during surgical and technical procedures. Spinal deformities may cause difficulties with both tracheal intubation and regional anesthesia. This report describes the anesthetic management for two urological operations that were performed in a patient with extremely severe thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis. After examining the risk factors, spinal block by injecting single dose local anesthetic solution to the intratechal space was chosen to provide anesthesia. It has been suggested that hyperbaric solution, which is of high density compared with cerebrospinal fluid, can safely produce blocks for many operations under spinal anesthesia. In the first procedure, intrathecal injection of 6 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine, a local anesthetic solution (1.2 ml total volume), resulted in inadequate motor and sensory blockade, but the successful motor and sensory blockade at the level of Th10 was achieved in a second attempt with 6.25 mg hypobaric bupivacaine (2 ml). Because of this unexpected effect of local anesthetic solution, in the second operation, the technique was changed to intrathecal injection of 12.5 mg hypobaric bupivacaine (4 ml), and the motor and sensory blockade at Th10 was achieved again. The patient reported satisfactory anesthesia each time, and developed no complications. In conclusion, spinal anesthesia can be successful even in cases of severe thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis.