Effectiveness of ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve block in pediatric inguinal hernia surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve block (IIHB) in children undergoing surgery for inguinal hernias.

Material and methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched to January 4, 2024. For continuous data, the effect sizes were presented as weighted mean differences (WMDs), and for categorical data, they were reported as relative ratios (RR), each accompanied by 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: IIHB demonstrated a longer duration before the need for the first analgesic compared to transverse abdominis plane (TAP), caudal epidural block (CEB), and pre-incisional wound infiltration (PWI), but a shorter duration than quadratus lumborum block (QLB). The IIHB group had a higher probability of requiring rescue analgesics compared to other blocks or PWI (RR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.28, p=0.001). Higher FLACC scores were noted at 12 hours for the IIHB group (WMD:0.50, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.86, p=0.008). IIHB required more intraoperative fentanyl compared to controls (RR: 2.14, 95% CI:1.17 to 3.92, p=0.014).

Conclusion: While IIHB may have some benefits, it does not appear to be more effective overall in managing postoperative pain in pediatric inguinal hernia surgery patients compared to other blocks or PWI.