INGUINAL HERNIORRHAPHY UNDER LOCAL-ANESTHESIA - A STUDY OF INTRAOPERATIVE TOLERANCE

Tolerance to inguinal hernia repair under local anesthesia was prospec tively evaluated in a consecutive series of 41 patients who underwent hernia repair with local infiltration of 0.75 per cent lidocaine. Intr aoperative discomfort was measured by an analog visual scale. All comp lications were also recorded. Mean intraoperative pain was mild (1.6 /- 1.4). There were two complications. Wound infection and wound hemat oma occurred in one patient each. There was no operative mortality. No rmal diet was tolerated the day of surgery in 39 patients, and 30 were discharged from the hospital on the same day. Our series supports goo d tolerance and a low complication rate when inguinal herniorrhaphy is performed under local anesthesia.