Spinal anesthesia in preterm infant undergoing herniorrhaphy.

Inguinal hernias are the most common diagnosis requiring surgical repair in children of all ages. Anesthetic management of premature infants is often difficult due to their comorbidities and propensity for apnea and bradycardia. General anesthesia has been shown to be associated with an increased incidence of postoperative adverse events. The purpose of this review is to determine the benefits and risks of spinal anesthesia in preterm infants undergoing herniorrhaphy. The use of spinal anesthesia in this population has been shown to decrease the incidence of postoperative adverse events.