Abstract: Femoral-sciatic nerve blocks for complex outpatient knee surgery are associated with less postoperative pain before same-day discharge: a review of 1,200 consecutive cases from the period 1996-1999.

Authors:

Williams BA, Kentor ML, Vogt MT, Williams JP, Chelly JE, Valalik S, Harner CD, Fu FH.

Institution:

University of Pittsburgh, A-1305 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15261, USA.

Source:

Anesthesiology. 2003 May;98(5):1206-13.

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Outpatient knee surgery has come to involve increasingly complex procedures. The authors present observational data from a nerve block algorithm designed for the care of outpatients undergoing knee surgery. The aim of this report is to demonstrate differences in pain and unplanned hospital admission associated with surgical complexity and nerve blocks used. METHODS: Day-of-surgery outcomes were studied for 1,200 consecutive outpatients undergoing routine arthroscopy or one of six complex outpatient knee procedures. Nerve blocks were administered on the basis of anticipated pain from open incisions in the femoral and sciatic nerve distributions. Regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with postoperative pain and unplanned hospital admissions, and patients were categorized as having received femoral and sciatic nerve blocks (FSB), femoral nerve block only (FNB), or no nerve blocks. RESULTS: Patients undergoing more complex (vs. less invasive) knee surgery were at greater risk for pain (P

Keywords:

Orthopaedic Surgery Regional Anaesthesia Athroscopy Knee