Low concentrations of lidocaine for inguinal hernia repair under local infiltration anaesthesia

Abstract

Objective A randomized, double-blind, prospective, controlled study to determine the lowest concentration of lidocaine that provides satisfactory anaesthesia and analgesia for inguinal hernia repair. Methods Patients with inguinal hernia undergoing tension-free mesh repair under local infiltration anaesthesia were randomized to receive 0.25% (Group A), 0.33% (Group B) or 0.5% (Group C) lidocaine. Total dose and volume of lidocaine consumed and intraoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores were recorded for each patient. Each patient’s degree of satisfaction and the incidence of anaesthesia- and procedure-related complications were recorded and assessed. Results A total of 120 patients were randomized. There were no between-group differences in median VAS scores, degree of satisfaction, volume of lidocaine consumed or incidence of complications. Patients in group A consumed significantly lower doses of lidocaine than those in both other groups. Conclusions The mean dose of lidocaine consumed in group A was significantly lower but exerted similar efficacy to that in the other groups, and may lead to a lower risk of local anaesthetic toxicity.