To investigate the effects of ultrasound-guided transverse abdominis plane block (TAPB) combined with dexmedetomidine (DEX) on anesthetic in elderly patients with inguinal hernia.

A total of 44 elderly patients with indirect inguinal hernia treated in Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated TCM-WM between March 2017 and September 2018 were selected as the research subjects. Random number table method was used to divide them into the control group (n=22) and the observation group (n=22). Tension-free hernia repair was performed in both groups, the control group was given local infiltration anesthesia in surgery, and the observation group was given anesthesia with TAPB and DEX. The anesthesia effects onset time and duration of anesthesia in the two groups were compared. The scores of the nerve block, analgesia and sedation at 2 hours after anesthesia in both groups were compared. The incidence of adverse reactions during the two groups were counted.

The total satisfaction rate of anesthesia effect in the observation group was 95.45%, which was higher than 77.27% in the control group (P<0.05). The onset time of sensory nerve block and motor nerve block in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group, and their durations were longer than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 2 hours after anesthesia, the scores of Bromage and Ramsay in the two groups were not statistically different (P>0.05); the score of Prince-Henry in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 9.09%, which was lower than the 36.36% in the control group (P<0.05).

TAPB combined with DEX has good analgesic effects on elderly patients in inguinal hernia surgery, can improve the effect of anesthesia, and has high safety.