[Comparison of intraoperative and postoperative analgesic properties of ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric and sacral epidural block in pediatric unilateral inguinal hernia operations].

Objectives: Central blocks such as caudal, spinal, and sacral epidural are frequently used in pediatric inguinal surgeries. Furthermore, peripheral blocks have been used and successful results have been obtained in pediatric inguinal surgeries. In this study, we aimed to compare the intraoperative and postoperative analgesic efficacy of the ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric (IL/IH) block under general anesthesia with the sacral epidural block.

Methods: This study was carried out in Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, after obtaining permission from the Ethics Committee of Gazi University Faculty of Medicine and the Central Ethics Committee of the General Directorate of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacy of the Turkish Ministry of Health, numbered B.10.0.İEG.011.00.01. Sixty patients in the American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II group between the ages of 1 and 8 years who will undergo elective unilateral inguinal hernia operation under general anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups. Group S (n=30) sacral epidural block and group I (n=30) IL/IH nerve block were planned.

Results: Hemodynamic values were found to be statistically significantly lower than control values in both groups. The minimum alveolar concentration values for sevoflurane were statistically significantly lower values in both groups at all surgery periods. In terms of additional analgesic requirement, the group I was found to be statistically significantly lower than the group s at the 8th-12th h. When the first analgesic intake hours were examined, no significant difference was found between the two groups.

Conclusion: In our study, group I and group S analgesic efficacy was found to be similar.