A clinical trial comparing ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block to transversus abdominis plane block for analgesia following open inguinal hernia repair.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric (IINB) nerve block to transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in controlling incisional pain after open inguinal hernia repair.

Patients And Methods: This was a prospective randomized clinical trial of 90 patients who received either IINB (N=45) or TAP block (N=45) using 0.2% bupivacaine 15 mL under ultrasound (US) guidance based on a random assignment in the postanesthesia care unit after having an open repair of inguinal hernia.