• Andrew K Wong and Andrew T Ng.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 3 Crescent Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19112, USA.
• Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2020 Dec 17; 24 (12): 80.

Purpose Of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to evaluate the current evidence on ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal nerve blocks for ilioinguinal neuralgia post hernia surgery.MethodsA literature search was performed to find all relevant case reports, case series, prospective or retrospective cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where ultrasound-guided or landmark-based ilioinguinal nerve blocks were used for ilioinguinal neuralgia post-inguinal hernia surgery.Recent FindingsA total of six studies were identified with suitable data for inclusion. Three studies were retrospective, two studies were prospective, and one study was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 133 subjects were enrolled across these studies. Approximately 55-70% had a beneficial analgesic response to treatment. No major complications were reported in these studies. Ultrasound- and landmark-based ilioinguinal nerve blocks are safe and effective for pain relief post inguinal hernia surgery. Although there were two studies that did not show a statically significant difference in both techniques, the ultrasound-guided injection has the advantage of direct visualization of pathology, more accurate needle placement, and decreased risks of intravascular injections.

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