“Do you have to be put to sleep for hand surgery?”
I will have hand surgery. Do you have to be put to sleep for hand surgery?
6 Answers
Short answer - no. Most of the time we can numb the area we are working on or the entire arm so that a patient does not need to be "put under" - you still need a driver home. (unless it is done under straight local without sedation - often called WALANT).
Not always! It depends on your surgeon and the surgery being performed.
Harrison B. Solomon, M.D.
Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics
Montgomery Orthopaedics Division
301-949-8100
HOOK SPLINT
www.Hooksplint.com
Harrison B. Solomon, M.D.
Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics
Montgomery Orthopaedics Division
301-949-8100
HOOK SPLINT
www.Hooksplint.com
Most hand surgery does not require general anesthesia. Common hand surgeries lasting less than one hour, such as trigger finger releases, corrections of Dupuytren's contractures, carpal tunnel releases, and excision of ganglion cysts, are routinely accomplished under regional anesthesia (the hand/wrist/forearm are made numb with local anesthetic injections) and light to moderate sedation. The level of sedation is usually driven by the desires of the patient, some patients want no sedation and others want heavier sedation, but all patients have the expectation of maintaining spontaneous breathing activity. Most hand surgeons utilize a surgical tourniquet (about the size and shape of a blood pressure cuff, usually placed on the upper arm and inflated to create a bloodless operating field for the surgeon) which can become uncomfortable for an awake or lightly sedated patient, especially if the surgery lasts more than 1 hour.
For major hand surgery lasting two or more hours, a major regional block (such as a supraclavicular block) or true general anesthesia is usually necessary. As always, the desires of the surgeon are important. Additionally, other health conditions of the patient, such as heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease influence anesthetic risk and benefit; before surgery, you should talk with your physician anesthesiologist about all of your health issues and medications to help choose the best anesthetic option for you.
For major hand surgery lasting two or more hours, a major regional block (such as a supraclavicular block) or true general anesthesia is usually necessary. As always, the desires of the surgeon are important. Additionally, other health conditions of the patient, such as heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease influence anesthetic risk and benefit; before surgery, you should talk with your physician anesthesiologist about all of your health issues and medications to help choose the best anesthetic option for you.
No, you can have local or regional anesthesia, depending.
No, not necessarily. Many hand surgery procedures can be performed safely under local anesthesia, with or without sedation, or a nerve block with sedation. Some longer and more complicated procedures may require general anesthesia. I suggest you discuss this with your surgeon before your procedure. Good luck.
No, you can do it under local/regional anesthesia.
