Assessment of Post-Operative Pain Score after Lichtenstein Repair of Inguinal Hernia

The Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair has become the gold standard due to its simplicity, effectiveness, and low recurrence rates. Despite its benefits, post-operative pain remains a critical concern impacting patient recovery and satisfaction. Objective: To evaluate the post-operative pain experienced by patients undergoing Lichtenstein repair of inguinal hernia. Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study conducted at department of general surgery, Jinnah international hospital, Abbottabad from April 2023 to April 2024. 150 patients who were to undergo Lichtenstein hernia repair were included and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to measure pain at multiple time points: 6 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-operatively. Pain scores were assessed at rest and on movement along with patient-reported outcomes were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0. P-values of ≤0.05 will be considered significant. Results: The mean age was 39.2±8.3 years. The average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 25.1±4.7 kg/m2. At 6 hours’ post-surgery, the mean pain scores were 4 ± 0.45, decreasing to 2.8 ± 0.31 24 hours and further to 2.1 ± 0.17 at 48 hours’ post-operation. By one week, the pain score had reduced to 1.8 ± 0.12. The pain score further reduced to 1.2 ± 0.25 at one month and 1.0 ± 0.58 at 3 months (p<0.01). Conclusion: Lichtenstein repair was effective in minimizing immediate post-operative discomfort. However, further investigations may be warranted to explore additional factors influencing pain outcomes