Conditions: Pain Nausea
Keywords: Inguinal Herniorrhaphy Pain assessment Outcomes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 12
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The investigators are conducting this study to find out if intravenous (injected through the vein) infusion of lidocaine and ketamine administered with general anesthesia is as effective as a paravertebral block in lessening pain after surgery and that both of these techniques are superior to general anesthesia alone in reducing pain immediately after surgery and in the long-term.

Detailed description:
Participants will be randomized into one of three study groups; Group 1 - Paravertebral Group - ropivacaine is injected near the spine before surgery. Midazolam and fentanyl are administered intravenously for sedation. Group 2 - Lidocaine/Ketamine - General anesthesia with lidocaine and ketamine administered intravenously throughout your surgery and for 60 minutes after surgery. Group 3 - General Anesthesia Alone. General anesthesia with placebo administered intravenously throughout surgery and for 60 minutes after surgery. All participants will rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10 after surgery and on days 1 and 2 after surgery. Participants are called 3 and 6 months after surgery for pain and quality of life assessments

Arms:
arm 1: Paravertebral Group - A local anesthetic (ropivacaine) will be injected near the spine before surgery. Participants will also receive midazolam and fentanyl intravenously (through your vein) for sedation arm 2: Participant will receive general anesthesia through the vein before surgery. Lidocaine and ketamine will be administered intravenously throughout surgery and for 60 minutes after surgery. arm 3: General anesthesia plus placebo. Placebo will be administered intravenously until 60 minutes after surgery

Interventions: intervention 1: ropivacaine intervention 2: Lidocaine/Ketamine intervention 3: placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 10 ml 0.5% ropivacaine plus epinephrine will be injected at T11 and L1 as described above (20 ml total) using intravenous midazolam (1-2 mg) and fentanyl (0.5-1 mcg/kg) for sedation intervention 2: Patients will receive a general anesthetic consisting of intravenous induction with lidocaine (1.5 mg/kg), propofol (1.5-2.5 mg/kg), ketamine (0.25 mg/kg), fentanyl (1 mcg/kg), and midazolam (1-2 mg). intervention 3: placebo

Protocol document: