Tehran University Medical Journal (Jun 2007)
Laparoscopic hernioplasty with epidural anesthesia; a report of 20 patients
Abstract
Background: The incidence of inguinal hernia is 15 cases per 1,000 populations. The most common surgical methods of hernia repair are conventional open hernioplasty and laparoscopic hernioplasty. The advantages of laparoscopic hernioplasty are that the regional anatomy is observable, and bilateral herniorrhaphy can be performed at the same time. Since laparoscopic hernia is usually performed under general anesthesia, to shorten the length of hospital stay and to prevent complications, in this study, we evaluated the use of epidural anesthesia during hernioplasty. Methods: This study included 20 male patients treated by a single surgeon. We recorded the PCO2 levels before, during and after surgery, as well as the pain and intra-abdominal pressure. Results: Only one patient required conversion to general anesthesia. Three patients had hernia on the left side only, 14 patients on the right only and three patients had bilateral hernia. The PCO2 levels did not change (P=0.789). Fifty percent of patients had no postoperative pain. The median time to return to work or normal physical activity was 7 days. Conclusion: Laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy is a feasible alternative to open surgical hernia repair. Employing epidural anesthesia prevents the complications of general anesthesia. This method achieves a shorter hospital stay and time to return to normal activity, as well as reduction in pain. Controlled trials comparing laparoscopic and tension-free open herniorrhaphy are needed to further assess the relative benefits of this procedure.
