Post herniorrhaphy urinary retention in local or general anesthesia

Abstract

Background: Inguinal hernia is a common disorder which should be operated as soon as diagnosed. It is operated under general, spinal or local anesthesia. Objective: To determine and compare the rate of urinary retention in patients operated under general or local anesthesia. Methods: 50 patients over 40 years old were prospectively reviewed in Shahid Rajaee hospital in Qazvin during 1999. They were divided into two groups in which group I (24 patients) underwent operation under local anesthesia and group II (26) under general anesthesia. All patients had a type II Nyhus classification. Findings: 3 cases out of group I developed urinary retention (12.5%) while 10 cases out of group II developed the same complication (38%). The difference was statically significant. Conclusion: The findings indicated a significantly higher incidence of urinary complication in patients operated under general anesthesia.