Spinal versus general anesthesia for transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair of inguinal hernia: Interim analysis of a controlled randomized trial.

Background: General anesthesia has been used as standard for laparoscopic hernia repair by the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach. Regional anesthesia has been occasionally applied in high risk patients where general anesthesia is contraindicated. This randomized clinical trial compares spinal anesthesia with general anesthesia for TAPP inguinal hernia repair in non-high risk patients.

Methods: Seventy adult American Society of Anesthesiologists I, II and III patients undergoing elective TAPP inguinal hernia repair were randomized to either general or spinal anesthesia.

Results: Postoperative morphine consumption was significantly less immediately postoperatively (p < 0.001) in the spinal anesthesia group. Postoperative pain was also significantly decreased within the first 8 h postoperatively (p < 0.05) in the spinal anesthesia group.

Conclusions: Spinal anesthesia offers some advantages in patient analgesia during the early postoperative period after TAPP inguinal hernia repair and can be proposed as an effective alternative method of anesthesia for TAPP repair.