Laparoscopic bilateral inguinal hernia repair under local anesthesia

A case report of the laparoscopic repair of bilateral inguinal hernias performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation is presented. The combination of nitrous oxide for peritoneal insufflation and an ultrasonically activated scalpel for dissection made the procedure feasible. It is hoped that this technique can extend laparoscopic surgery to patients who are poor candidates for general anesthesia.