Postoperative analgesia for day-case herniorrhaphy patients. A comparison of cryoanalgesia, paravertebral blockade and oral analgesia.

Patients were admitted as day-cases for inguinal herniorrhaphy under epidural anaesthesia and chlormethiazole sedation. The patients were given oral analgesia, and in addition, some were given either a paravertebral block with a dextran/bupivacaine mixture or cryoanalgesia of the ilio-inguinal nerve for postoperative pain relief. These anaesthetic and analgesic techniques are discussed in relation to day-case herniorrhaphy.