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MAY 14, 2017

Benefit of Epidurals for Hernia Surgery Questioned

Researchers Change Practice; Selection Bias Could Explain Results; Proper Technique Key

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Cancun, Mexico—Surgeons speaking at the 2017 annual meeting of the Americas Hernia Society questioned the value of perioperative epidural analgesia in patients undergoing ventral hernia repair after results from a new analysis suggested epidurals may contribute to longer hospital length of stay without any obvious benefit.

A second analysis that used the same database showed transverse abdominis plane (TAP) blocks, which can be an alternative to epidurals, appear to markedly lessen