form the backbone of
our anesthesia plan for
joint replacements.
For total knee
arthroplasties, for
example, we first
place a selective tibial
block, which delivers
good sensory pain
relief to the back of
the knee, while also
minimizing the disrup-
tion of motor move-
ment to the foot.
Next, we administer
a single-shot femoral
nerve block, which
provides a very dense
anesthetic effect to
the anterior part of
the thigh and knee for
the duration of the
procedure. Because this block tends to be effective for 12 to 18
hours, its benefits extend into the early post-operative recovery
period.
Finally, we add an adductor canal block. For that, we use a peripher-
al nerve catheter kit in conjunction with a continuous local anesthetic
infusion pump. We also give our patients a light general anesthetic,
which keeps them comfortable during surgery, but doesn't interfere
with their recovery times or our same-day discharge plans.
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 7
• DENSE ANESTHETIC Single-shot femoral nerve blocks can last for 12 to
18 hours, its benefits extending into the early post-operative recovery period.
John
Hickey
(Buffalo
News)
