Study measures the difference in pain after hernia &/or hydrocele repair based on site of local anesthesia injection.

This single-center, prospective, single blind, randomized study will enroll up to 50 subjects who are scheduled for elective hydrocelectomy and/or hernia repair. At Beaumont Health System, post-operative pain management in children is managed either via oral/parenteral opiates and opiate adjuncts, surgeon-administered field blocks (instillation of local anesthetics in the general area of incision), or via regional techniques (spinal, epidural, or peripheral nerve blocks). We have designed this study to determine if there is improved qualitative and quantitative post-operative pain control in patients receiving TAP block versus intraoperative peri-incisional, surgeon administered field block. Once informed consent has been given, each patient will be randomized (like flip of the coin) to either Transverse Abdominis Plane Block (TAP Block)or surgeon administered anesthesia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children 2-8 years of age
• Elective inguinal hernia repair, inguinal hernia repair with peritoneoscopy and/or hydrocelectomy to be performed in the Center for Children's Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak
• American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification 1 and 2 (patients that have either no systemic illness, or mild systemic disease that is well controlled, eg. mild asthma)

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of allergy to study medications
• Enrollment in concurrent research study
• Pregnant patients*
• Students/trainees/staff*
• Mentally disabled/cognitively impaired*

Data not included for patients removed from study by physician

Adverse Events were collected from the time of consent through the time of a followup phone call 24 hours post discharge from the hospital.

Of the 47 treated patients, the local infiltration was administered by 8 different surgeons while the TAP block was administered by 2 different anesthesiologists.