PVB With vs. Without Clonidine for Ventral Hernia Repair

Paravertebral block (PVB) combined with light intravenous sedation was associated with a short hospital stay, less post-operative nausea and vomiting and reduced analgesic consumption compared to general anesthesia for ventral hernia repair. Given the effectiveness of PVB in the ventral hernia repair, it would be beneficial to study the effect of PVB with versus without clonidine in elderly patients. Patients will be randomly allocated to one of 2 groups with 30 patients in each, using the sealed envelope technique. Group one will receive PVB with clonidine while group 2 will receive PVB with placebo.