Limited use of local anesthesia for open inguinal hernia repair: a qualitative study

Purpose Local anesthesia for open inguinal hernia repair is recommended by guidelines but is rarely used in clinical practice in several countries. This study aimed to explore physician’s considerations in choosing type of anesthesia and barriers for implementing local anesthesia for open hernia repair in clinical practice. Methods We performed individual semi-structured interviews of surgeons and anesthesiologists. Transcribed data were condensed, coded, categorized, and formulated into themes in an inductive qualitative content analysis. Results Twenty two participants from seven public hospitals were included in the study. Participants described a standardized setup for general anesthesia with use of intravenous propofol/remifentanil and a laryngeal mask and were generally satisfied with this setup. Their considerations in choosing anesthesia could be described in four themes: (1) Intraoperative pain and quality of surgical technique, (2) Communication and teaching, (3) Logistics, and (4) Clinical routines. Conclusion Participants considered intraoperative pain and quality of surgical technique, communication and teaching, logistics, and clinical routines as important factors when choosing anesthesia for open inguinal hernia repair and these factors acted as barriers for implementing of local anesthesia in Danish public hospitals. In this setting, implementation strategies should, therefore, be multimodal to address these barriers. The potential workload in such an effort should be justified by evidence supporting specific types of local anesthesia comapared with general anesthesia with use of propofol/remifentanil and a laryngeal mask.