Which painkiller is prescribed after hernia surgery?

Depends: Probably the most common is Acetaminophen + hydrocodone (vicodin, norco) but it depends on the patient and how the tolerate pain. I have used Ibuprofen and tramadol (ultram) in other patients with success and less side effects. Talk with your doctor before surgery.

Depends: Open hernia surgery with incision in the groin is more painful and may need Codeine to control pain. Laparoscopic surgery results in minimal incisions and does not require (mostly) strong pain medications. Tramadol or Ibuprofen will control pain sufficiently. Abdominal wall hernia surgery is more involved and may need stronger intravenous medications in the post operative period in the hospital.

Narcotics for a few: I typically prescribe narcotics for the first few days after the initial surgery and then recommend Ibuprofen which is better as an anti-inflammatory. Unless there are extenuating circumstances narcotics should not be needed more than a week.