EFFICACY OF ILIOINGUINAL / ILIOHYPOGASTRIC & GENITOFEMORAL NERVE BLOCK IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING INGUINAL HERNIA REPAIR.

Background and Aims: Inguinal hernia repair is a common surgery in geriatric age group patients, performed under Regional Anaesthesia or General Anaesthesia. Irrespective of surgical technique, pain remains a problem in inguinal hernia surgeries despite preemptive use of opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or local anaesthetic infiltration. The aim of this study is to observe the analgesic efficacy of Ilioinguinal/ Iliohypogastric & Genitofemoral nerve block for post operative analgesia in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair. Materials and Methods: Prospective observational study. In the study, 60 patients, scheduled for elective inguinal hernia repair surgery were taken up after getting informed and written consent and were randomised into 2 groups to receive spinal anaesthesia followed by either Ultrasound guided Ilioinguinal/ Iliohypogastric & Genitofemoral nerve block (Group A) or Spinal Anaesthesia alone (Group B) followed by surgery. Postoperative pain was assessed using Visual Analogue Score (VAS), time to first rescue analgesia and total analgesic requirement of the patients amongst the two groups was observed and compared. Results: The mean VAS was found to be significantly lesser in Group A as compared to Group B. Intravenous Fentanyl [1-2mcg/kg] was used as rescue analgesia for patients with VAS>4. Patients belonging to Group B received rescue analgesia earlier and in higher dosage as compared with Group A. Conclusion: Ilioinguinal/ Iliohypogastric & Genitofemoral nerve block was found to be efficacious for postoperative analgesia & can be used as part of multimodal analgesia in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]