Regional anaesthesia in the outpatient treatment of bilateral inguinal hernias using totally extraperitoneal laparoscopy

The treatment of bilateral inguinal hernias using totally extraperitoneal laparoscopy is usually done with general anaesthesia. The objective of this article is to evaluate the regional anaesthesia technique in extraperitoneal laparoscopic surgery for treating bilateral inguinal hernias in an outpatient surgery unit. Prospective clinical study of 30 patients with uncomplicated bilateral inguinal hernia undergoing surgery using extraperitoneal laparoscopy. The anaesthesic technique used were spinal regional anaesthesia. We analysed clinical data (age, sex, associated diseases, prior abdominal surgery, site and hernia type), intra-operative complications (bleeding, peritoneal rupture, subcutaneous emphysema, reconversion rate, haemodynamic stability, respiratory problems and degree of satisfaction), postoperative complications (haematomas, urinary retention, post lumbar puncture headaches, nausea, vomiting and postoperative pain) and recurrence rate. All the patients undergoing surgery under-spinal anaesthesia in any case was necessary to reconvert it to general anaesthesia. In conclusion, regional anaesthesia is safe and efficient in an outpatient surgery unit in the treatment of bilateral inguinal hernias. # 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.