Pain relief after inguinal hernia repair: A randomized double-blind study

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Abstract
A randomized double‐blind study was undertaken using 0.5 per cent bupivacaine ilioinguinal field block and oral papaveretum‐aspirin tablets to assess pain relief after hernia surgery. A consecutive series of 200 men undergoing repair of a unilateral inguinal hernia underwent random allocation into one of the four groups to receive: bupivacaine and papaveretum‐aspirin (group 1), bupivacaine and oral placebo (group 2), saline and papaveretum‐aspirin (group 3), or saline and oral placebo (group 4). Patients were prescribed postoperative oplates to be given on demand. Pain levels and mobility were assessed at 6 and 24 h after operation. Patients in group 1 reported significantly less pain, required less additional opiates and had better mobility than those in group 4 (pain score P < 0.001 at 6 h and P = 0.002 at 24 h) and group 3 (P = 0.002 for pain and mobility scores at 6 h). Bupivacaine alone provided good immediate postoperative pain relief (P = 0.002 group 2 versus group 4 at 6 h). The combination of bupivacaine and papaveretum‐aspirin provided the best results and is suitable for day‐case postoperative analgesia.