Effect of Anterior Iliac Block on Postoperative Analgesia and Patient Satisfaction in Inguinal Hernia Repair Surgery

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide and presents challenges in anesthesia selection and postoperative pain management. Spinal anesthesia is frequently preferred due to its advantages, such as avoiding neuromuscular blockers and endotracheal intubation. Effective postoperative analgesia is essential for improving patient comfort and reducing opioid consumption.

The anterior iliac block, a recently described technique, has emerged as a potential alternative to conventional regional anesthesia methods, offering wider nerve coverage and possibly improved analgesia. However, evidence regarding its efficacy and safety remains limited.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of the anterior iliac block on postoperative analgesia duration and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Spinal Anesthesia; Hernia Surgery; Anterior Ilıac Block
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Anterior Iliac Block; Other: Control Group (A):

Detailed Description

Inguinal hernia operations are among the most frequently performed surgical procedures worldwide each year. Inguinal hernia surgery involves certain challenges, such as the choice of anesthesia and the management of postoperative analgesia. This surgical procedure is most commonly performed under spinal anesthesia due to advantages such as avoiding paralytic agents and endotracheal intubation. Providing effective postoperative analgesia in inguinal hernia surgery is of great importance in terms of increasing patient comfort and reducing opioid use.

The anterior iliac block, defined in recent years, has been proposed as an alternative to classical regional anesthesia techniques and has attracted attention due to its coverage of a wider nerve distribution area and its potential to provide more effective analgesia. This new block technique is thought to contribute to pain control, especially in the postoperative period, thereby increasing patient satisfaction. However, studies on the effectiveness and reliability of this method are still limited in the literature, and more scientific data on the subject are needed.

The main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the Anterior Iliac Block, to be applied in patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, on the duration of postoperative analgesia and its impact on patient satisfaction during this process.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: RAMAZAN ASLANPARÇASI, MD; Phone Number: +905532980247; Email: rmzn.aslan.2015@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: ABDULLAH ŞENGÜL, MD; Phone Number: +905077345751; Email: abdullahsengul342@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Sanliurfa, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital
    • Contact: ABDULLAH ŞENGÜL, MD; Phone Number: +905077345751; Email: abdullahsengul342@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-65 years patient
• American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) I-II patient

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who declined to participate in the study
• Patients with contraindications to the anterior iliac block
• Pregnant or breastfeeding patients
• Patients classified as ASA III, IV, or V

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Anterior Iliac Block Group; Patients will receive spinal anesthesia combined with anterior iliac block for postoperative analgesia	Procedure: Anterior Iliac Block; Patients in this group received an ultrasound-guided anterior iliac block following the completion of surgery under spinal anesthesia. The block was performed under sterile conditions with the patient in the supine position. Using a high-frequency linear ultrasound probe, the anatomical landmarks in the anterior iliac region were identified, and the relevant fascial plane was visualized. A block needle was advanced in-plane under real-time ultrasound guidance, and after negative aspiration, an appropriate volume(20 ml 0.25%) of local anesthetic was injected to ensure adequate spread within the target plane. All procedures were performed by experienced anesthesiologists. Postoperative analgesia was assessed using standardized pain scores, and additional analgesic requirements were recorded. The duration of analgesia and patient satisfaction were evaluated during the postoperative period.
Active Comparator: Control Group; Patients will receive spinal anesthesia without anterior iliac block and standard postoperative analgesia	Other: Control Group (A): Patients in this group did not receive an anterior iliac block. All patients underwent surgery under spinal anesthesia, and no additional postoperative analgesic intervention was administered routinely. Analgesic medication was provided only if required based on patient-reported pain levels. Pain scores, time to first analgesic requirement, total analgesic consumption, and patient satisfaction were assessed during the postoperative period using the same standardized methods as in the intervention group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Duration of Postoperative Analgesia	Time from completion of spinal anasthesia to the first request for rescue analgesia	Up to 24 hours postoperative

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postoperative Pain Scores	Pain intensity measured using the Numeric Rating Scale	At 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours postoperative
Total Oioid Consumption	Total amount of tramadol consumed within the first 24 hours after surgery	First 24 hours postoperative
Patient Satisfaction	Patient-reported satisfaction with pain management using a 5 point Likert scale	At 24 hours postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sanliurfa Mehmet Akif Inan Education and Research Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: ABDULLAH ŞENGÜL, MD, Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Burney RE, Prabhu MA, Greenfield ML, Shanks A, O'Reilly M. Comparison of spinal vs general anesthesia via laryngeal mask airway in inguinal hernia repair. Arch Surg. 2004 Feb;139(2):183-7. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.139.2.183.
• Callesen T. Inguinal hernia repair: anaesthesia, pain and convalescence. Dan Med Bull. 2003 Aug;50(3):203-18.
• Yorukoglu HU, Cesur S, Izgin Avci I, GoK A, Aksu C, Selek O, Kus A. Retrospective evaluation of postoperative analgesia efficacy of a new technique in anterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting: anterior iliac block. BMC Anesthesiol. 2024 Nov 29;24(1):443. doi: 10.1186/s12871-024-02829-7.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 9, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: spinal anesthesia; postoperative pain; numeric rating scale; hernia surgery
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Pain, Postoperative; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Research Design; Methods; Control Groups
• Other Study ID Numbers: AIBHS2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Ethics committee approval covers only aggregate data analysis; there is no permission to share individual participant data

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No