Introduction
There is a dearth of data about the benefits of local anesthesia (LA) and spinal anesthesia (SA) compared to general anesthesia (GA) in patients undergoing repair of recurrent groin (inguinal/femoral) hernias. We hypothesized that patients with recurrent hernias who undergo repair under LA and SA will have a better outcome.
Methods and procedures
Using the 2017 American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)® database, patients who underwent open repair of recurrent groin hernias were identified and divided into three groups: GA, SA, and LA. Outcomes evaluated included 30-day mortality and morbidity, operative time, total hospital length of stay (LOS), and reoperation and readmission rates.
Results
A total of 2169 patients were identified of which 1847 (85.2%) were in GA, 53 (2.4%) in SA, and 269 (12.4%) in LA groups. Overall, no statistically significant differences in demographics and comorbidities between the three groups were identified. However, patients in GA were younger and healthier with lower ASA Class (I-II) as compared to SA and LA groups. Patients in SA had a higher rate of COPD, and their overall operative time was shorter. However, LA patients had shorter LOS, and most LA patients were discharged home on the same day compared to GA, SA (92.2% vs. 77.9%, and 73.6%, p < 0.001). No differences in 30-day mortality and morbidity or reoperation and readmission rates between the three groups were noted.
Conclusion
There is an underutilization of LA in patients undergoing open repair of recurrent inguinal hernia despite favorable outcomes, even in high-risk patients, when compared to GA and SA. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the potential barriers and cost-effectiveness of implementing LA as a primary anesthetic technique in inguinal hernia repair.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.