Randomised Controlled Trial - Multimodal Analgesia in Inguinal Hernia Repair Using a Cyclooxygenase-2-specific Inhibitor: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Acute pain is the result of activating nociceptive pathways in both the peripheral and central nervous system. The origin of most acute pain from surgical stimulation is the mechanical trauma of the local tissue and the subsequent acute inflammatory response. Open inguinal hernia repair is one of the commonest surgical procedures which may provoke pain of variable intensity and duration.

Etoricoxib (Arcoxia®) is a NSAID with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties mainly achieved via selective peripheral COX-2 inhibition. Spinal anaesthesia using local anaesthetics combined with opioids affects the transmission, modulation and modification stages of nociceptive afferent impulses and its analgesic qualities are superior to local anaesthesia alone.

No studies have investigated the combined use of anti-inflammatory analgesics with spinal anaesthesia/analgesia for pre, intra and postoperative multimodal pain protection in patients undergoing day-case IHR. The aim of the investigators study is therefore to assess the efficacy of preoperative combined administration of etoricoxib and standard spinal anaesthesia in the reduction of postoperative pain following IHR.