A Prospective, randomized study comparing Ultrasound Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block and Ultrasound guided Ilioinguinal, Iliohypogastric Nerve Blocks in patients undergoing Open Inguinal Hernia Repair

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Transversus Abdominis Plane Block and Ilioinguinal Iliohypogastric nerve blocks have been documented to provide effective analgesia after lower abdominal surgeries. But there are limited studies comparing both techniques. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing unilateral open inguinal hernia repair were randomly assigned into two groups, either to receive ultrasound guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block or ultrasound guided Ilioinguinal Iliohypogastric nerve blocks with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. All patients received general anaesthesia. The patients were monitored for intraoperative hemodynamics, intraoperative opioid requirement, and post operative visual analogue pain scale for 24 hours. RESULTS: Intraoperative hemodynamics between two groups was considered to be not statistically significant (p> 0.05). The mean intraoperative fentanyl requirement in TAP group is 132 ± 17.49 microgram and in IIIH block group is 130.33 ± 14.49 microgram. The p value is 0.689.The mean post-operative vas score at 4, 6, 12, 24 hrs (TAP vs IIIH) are 3.23vs2.97; 2.97vs3.30; 2.53vs2.07; 1.37vs0.76, respectively. Thus the post-operative analgesia is considered to be statistically not significant between two groups, since p > 0.05. CONCLUSION: we concluded that the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound guided ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric nerve block is as effective as ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block in patients undergoing unilateral open inguinal hernia repair