Rectus sheath block with sedation versus general anesthesia for periumbilical hernia repair: A retrospective propensity score-matched study

Table 1 Pre-match and post-match demographics, n (%)/mean ± SD

	Pre-match		Post-match
	GA	SD1	GA	Regional anesthesia	SD1
Sample size	120		62	62
Mean age (years)	49.3 ± 14.1	0.15	52.6 ± 14.2	51.3 ± 13.7	0.09
Sex2
Male	73 (60.8)	0.04	40 (64.5)	40 (64.5)	0
Mean body mass index (kg/m²)	28.9 ± 4.8	0.03	28.9 ± 4.1	28.7 ± 5.1	0.03
American Society of Anesthesiologists
I	31 (25.8)	0.02	12 (19.4)	17 (27.4)	0.08
II	77 (64.2)	0.06	41 (66.1)	36 (58.1)	0.08
III	12 (10.0)	0.04	9 (14.5)	9 (14.5)	0
Comorbidities
Cardiac disease3	5 (4.2)		4 (6.5)	1 (1.6)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	3 (2.5)		2 (3.2)	1 (1.6)
Sleep apnea4	2 (1.7)		1 (1.6)	1 (1.6)
Diabetes5	7 (5.8)		7 (11.3)	5 (8.1)

¹SD presented in proportion.

²Biologic sex.

³Include coronary disease, moderate to severe valvulopathy, heart failure.

⁴Obstructive sleep apnea.

⁵Include type 1 and 2 diabetes.

GA: General anesthesia.

Table 2 Pre-match and post-match measured outcomes, n (%)

Outcome	Pre-match1	Post-match2		Mean difference (95%CI)	P value	E value
	GA (n = 120)	GA (n = 62)	Regional anesthesia (n = 62)
Total recovery time in minutes, mean (IQR)	81 (27.2)	82 (30)	65 (28)	-17.0 (-25.0 to -9.0)	< 0.001	3.2
Preoperative time in minutes, mean (IQR)	89.5 (53.2)	91.5 (54.5)	89 (67)	-2.0 (-15.0 to 13.0)	0.81
Operating time in minutes, mean (IQR)	45 (17)	45 (13.8)	41 (11.8)	-5.0 (-9.0 to -1.0)	0.010	2.4
Total length of stay in minutes, mean (IQR)	224 (82.8)	229 (79)	198 (63.8)	-30.0 (-47.0 to -11.0)	0.002	2.7
First postoperative pain score, mean (IQR)	3 (3.25)	3 (3.75)	0 (3)	-2.0 (-2.0 to -1.0)	0.001	2.9
Postoperative opioid use in oral morphine equivalents, mean (IQR)	10 (10)	10 (10)	0 (10)	0.00 (-10.0 to 0.00)	0.001	2.8
Adverse events
Nausea or vomiting	8 (6.7)	5 (8.1)	5 (8.1)	1 (0.22-4.60)	1
Severe pain	14 (11.7)	7 (11.3)	5 (8.1)	0.69 (0.16-2.70)	0.76
Desaturation	10 (8.3)	6 (9.7)	0 (0)	0.07 (0.004-1.26)	0.07
Phase I recovery bypass	13 (10.8)	7 (11.3)	44 (71.0)	18.6 (6.83-58.02)	0.001	36.7

¹Outcomes under pre-matched samples were unadjusted; presented as median and interquartile range, or number and percentage.

²Outcomes from matched samples were adjusted from a multivariable regression model with age, body mass index, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists, cardiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea as covariates, presented as median and interquartile range, or number and percentage.

P value compared post-matched samples between general anesthesia and regional anesthesia groups, using P < 0.05 as statistically significant. Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous outcomes and Fisher’s exact test for categorical outcome. GA: General anesthesia; IQR: Interquartile range.