Lichtenstein inguinal herniorraphy under local infiltration anaesthesia as rapid outpatient procedure.

Background: In Scandinavian countries the use of local anaesthesia combined with fast patient's discharge is still uncommon in inguinal herniorraphy.

Aims: To report the feasibility, safety, costs and long-term outcome in terms of pain and recurrence after 101 open inguinal herniorraphies operated under local anaesthesia as rapid outpatient procedure.

Methods: All patients were selected and operated using Lichtenstein polypropylene mesh herniorraphy by the same senior surgeon and one nurse. The incidence of pain and recurrences were asked by questionnaire after the mean follow-up of 2 years.

Results: The rate of clinically important wound hematomas (n = 3) and infections (n = 1) were low as well as the number of recurrences (n = 1). Although 23 % of the patients felt later some pain sensations in the inguinal region, only 2 patients needed occasionally pain-relieving drugs. Over 90 per cent of the patients were very satisfied with the operation.

Conclusion: Lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty under local infiltration anaesthesia is rapid, well-tolerated, simple and inexpensive operation, which gives excellent results.