Role of Injection Lidocaine with and without Triamcinolone Acetonide in the Management of Chronic Pain in Post-Operative Inguinal Hernioplasty

Background: Inguinal hernioplasty, also called Lichtenstein repair, is a common surgical procedure for inguinal hernia which can lead to chronic groin pain. Local anesthetic blocks combined with corticosteroids like lidocaine and triamcinolone have been used for post-operative pain management. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of lidocaine with triamcinolone acetonide versus lidocaine alone for chronic pain management in patients who underwent inguinal hernioplasty. Methods: A randomized control trial study was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from June 2022 to June 2023. The study included patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty who were over 18 years of age. Group 1 (n=75) received a combination of lidocaine with triamcinolone acetonide, while group 2 (n=75) received lidocaine alone. Pain levels were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) during 1st week, 1st month, and 3rd month after the surgery. Results: In group 1, the incidence of pain in the 1st week was 25%, significantly lower than the 41.3% in group 2 (p=0.024). The risk ratio (RR) was 0.65 (95% CI=0.43-0.97, p=0.037). In the 1st month, group 1 had a 13.3% incidence of pain compared to 29.3% in group 2 (p=0.017), with an RR of 0.56 (95% CI=0.33-0.97). Similarly, in the 3rd month, group 1 had a 9.3% incidence of pain compared to 22.7% in group 2 (p=0.026), with an RR of 0.48 (95% CI=0.23-0.97). Conclusion: Lidocaine with triamcinolone acetonide is an effective approach for managing chronic postoperative pain in inguinal hernioplasty.