Partial Anaesthesia risk reduction and postsurgical pain suppression

Most parts of the body can be anaesthetised individually

Local anaesthesia or partial anaesthesia plays an ever-increasing role in orthopaedic surgery. Partial anaesthesia can be used as a supplement to general anaesthesia. Partial anaesthesia can even completely replace general anaesthesia in many cases. Patients can stay awake with partial anaesthesia. They may also fall into a shallow sleep during surgery if only a mild sedative is used. The level and type of anaesthesia chosen depend on the desire of the individual patient to observe arthroscopic surgery on a screen.

Regional anaesthesia and modern pain management

ULTRASOUND GUIDED REGIONAL ANAESTHESIA can specifically block the pain sensation in a defined anatomic area, minimising the quantity of analgetic or sedative substance required. Regional anaesthesia is an indispensable tool in post-surgical pain management and patient rehabilitation. Our anesthesiologist uses special high-quality anaesthetic needles with good ultrasound contrast. They are also chosen as they are sharp enough to penetrate the skin easily, and do not cut into muscle tissue, nerves or blood vessels. © joint-surgeon.com

How is partial anaesthesia performed?

During partial anaesthesia individual parts or regions of the body are made free of pain and sensitivity.

One common use of regional anaesthesia is familiar to everyone who has ever had anaesthesia during a dental procedure.

Regional anaesthesia can be combined with either a light sleep medication (sedative) or deep general anaesthesia according to individual patient preference. This additional anaesthesia is optional, as the patient is already completely pain-free. It might however be beneficial to sedate a patient in some cases, in order to lower the general stress levels in the body.

Types of Partial anaesthesia

There are two types of partial anaesthesia. One type of partial anaesthesia neuraxial anaesthesia is well known from spinal anaesthesia. Spinal and epidural anaesthesia are the most well-known types of neuraxial anaesthesia. This type of anaesthesia can block pain and sensitivity in large areas of the body such as the chest, abdomen, pelvis, or both legs for example.

Another major type of partial anaesthesia peripheral regional anaesthesia gives the possibility of blocking individual nerves in order to anaesthetise a very specific part of the body only such as a single finger, arm, leg, or foot for example.

Modern devices guided by ultrasound, bring precision to partial anaesthesia.

These forms of partial anaesthesia have been used for some time by modern centres such as the orthopaedic Gelenk Klinik. As they require very precise high resolution ultrasound guided equipment which is expensive, these techniques are not yet widely available elsewhere.