Cirugía de las hernias de la pared abdominal con anestesia local. Experiencia en la República Bolivariana de Venezuela Surgery of hernias of the abdominal wall under local anesthesia. Experience in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Introduction: of all anesthetic methods used for hernia repair, local anesthesia is -from point of view of cost- the most effective, at the same time there are several advantages to the patient and can be used in places with limited resources. Objective: to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of local anesthesia to operate hernias of the abdominal wall in rural populations and scarce health care resources. Method: a prospective observational study was conducted from June 2011 to June 2013, at the Center for Integral Diagnosis "Manuelita Saenz" of the parish The Canton, Barinas State, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which included all patients older than 18 years who underwent surgery under local anesthesia for presenting hernias of the abdominal wall. Results: were operated under local anesthesia 215 patients; of them, 64,1% were males. The inguinal hernia prevailed among all varieties of hernias diagnosed. Of all patients, 72% were from the rural area and was applied hernia repair techniques based sutures to 88,8% of them. Postoperative complications occurred only in 9,6 % of cases; there were no complications related to anesthesia method. Acceptance among patients exceeded 90%. Conclusions: the use of local anesthesia to operate hernias of the abdominal wall is a feasible, safe and effective technique, which makes it ideal for use in surgical centers of all levels and in in