What anesthesia is used for people with inguinal hernias?

A variety: Depending on the patient, surgeon (and planned repair), anesthesiologist, and practice setting, inguinal hernia repair may be performed under local, regional, or general anesthesia. You should ask your surgeon if the operation will require a specific anesthetic, or if you and your anesthesiologist can decide. For example, a very complex hernia may be too uncomfortable to repair without general.

Sedation or General: It depends on the surgical approach. If the surgeon is using a laparoscopic approach you will want to be asleep under general anesthesia. If the surgeon uses an open technique then sedation or with local anesthesia is usually sufficient.

Depends: Most patients choose general anesthesia regardless of the approach. In general, it is easier to do an open technik with local anesthesia and sedation, but I have performed many laparoscopic hernia repairs with local anesthesia and mild sedation as well. In these cases, the patients are usually thinner, and have small hernias and are highly motivated to undergo local anesthesia with sedation.