To investigate the application effect of iliohypogastric/ilioinguinal nerve block with ropivacaine during surgery for children with inguinal hernia.

108 children with inguinal hernia admitted to Xiantao First People's Hospital between August 2018 and July 2019 were divided into the control group (n=54) and the observation group (n=54) by lottery, and all of them were treated with inguinal hernia surgery. The control group were given routine general anesthesia, and the observation group were given iliohypogastric/ilioinguinal nerve block under the guidance of ultrasound based on routine general anesthesia. Hemodynamic parameters, including heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the two groups at different time points were observed. The dosage of general anesthetic drugs (supfentanil and propofol) during operation, postoperative extubation time, recovery time, length of PACU stay, postoperative validity of the Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability (FLACC) Behavioral Pain Assessment Scale scores and adverse reactions to anesthesia were recorded. The incidence and severity of agitation in the two groups were evaluated with the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score.

There were no significant differences in HR, SBP or DBP between the two groups after entering the operating room (T₀) (P>0.05). HR, SBP and DBP at skin incision (T₁) and at the end of surgery (T₂) were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). The doses of sufentanil and propofol in the observation group were fewer than those in the control group (P<0.05). The extubation time, recovery time and length of PACU stay were shorter than those of the control group (P<0.05). The FLACC scores at 30 min, 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). The incidence rates of nausea, vomiting and agitation and PAED scores were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05).

Iliohypogastric/ ilioinguinal nerve block with ropivacaine is beneficial to maintain hemodynamic stability during surgery for children with inguinal hernia and reduce postoperative pain of children with hernia.