Inguinal hernia repair is a common surgical procedure done as day surgery. Because patients need to be discharged on the same day, the choice of anesthesia technique is influenced. One option is the ilioinguinal (II)-iliohypogastric (IH) nerve block, a type of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block, which has benefits such as faster recovery, better pain control, and reduced opioid use. It also allows for quick discharge, early feeding, and no need for post-anesthesia or recovery unit stay. This study aims to evaluate the success of the II-IH nerve block as the preferred anesthesia strategy for patients undergoing unilateral inguinal hernia repair using the Lichtenstein technique. The study will analyze various factors such as BMI, age, optimal ultrasound vision, amount of anesthesia used, dose of anesthesia administered, time between block execution and incision, and sedative dose needed to determine independent variables of block effectiveness. The study will include patients aged 18 or older, with ASA I-II-III classification, and who provide informed consent. Patients with allergies to local anesthetics, certain medical conditions, obesity, difficulty visualizing target structures, non-cooperative behavior, or taking anticoagulant therapy will be excluded. The study will be conducted at the Sant'Antonio Hospital (Padova University Hospital) operating rooms for one year, aiming to recruit around 400 patients. Informed consent for data processing will be obtained during the preoperative anesthesia visit, and standard anesthesia procedures will be followed during the surgery. As usual care the patient will be monitored before surgery using an electrocardiogram, oxygen saturation measurement, and non-invasive blood pressure. After adequate sedation, the II-IH nerve block will be performed under sterile conditions and ultrasound guidance. Participation in the study does not modify the commonly used anesthesia procedures and does not pose any additional risks or provide direct benefits to the patients. The data collected will be treated confidentially and used exclusively for the study's purposes. Data collection will be conducted through a paper-based form, and only a few variables will be recorded. The study's findings will be made public, even if negative, and will be submitted to the ethics committee within twelve months of data collection completion.
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
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ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block failure
Timeframe: through surgery completation, an average of 1 hour