One of the largest clinical trends in anesthesia today is the increasing use of nerve blocks, also referred to as regional anesthesia, to provide intraoperative and post-operative pain relief.
"The fairly rapid role of using nerve blocks to facilitate intraoperative and post-op pain relief seems in a large part to be stimulated by the introduction of high-quality ultrasound devices that allow you to visualize the nerves while you're placing the block," says Thomas Schares, MD, chief of anesthesia at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif. Anesthesia services at the hospital are provided by Palm Springs Anesthesia Services, PC, which is managed by Somnia, Inc. Dr. Schares also serves as director of medical affairs for Somnia's California and New Mexico operations.
Driven by advancing ultrasound technology, nerve blocks have grown in use, especially for orthopedic procedures, because of the benefits they can provide to patients over more traditional anesthetics. "The use of nerve blocks as an adjunct or primary source of anesthesia can reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting and can be near magical in terms of post-op pain relief," says Dr. Schares.
Whether or not a patient receives a nerve block depends on the experience of the clinician and is a decision made by the anesthesiologist, surgeon and patient. While many physicians believe nerve blocks have advantages in terms of post-operative pain relief, Dr. Schares cautions that there is not yet any clear evidence that they are "superior in an absolute sense" than other methods.
In addition to faster recoveries, the blocks translate into less pain and fewer side effects, and higher patient satisfaction.
"The fairly rapid role of using nerve blocks to facilitate intraoperative and post-op pain relief seems in a large part to be stimulated by the introduction of high-quality ultrasound devices that allow you to visualize the nerves while you're placing the block," says Thomas Schares, MD, chief of anesthesia at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif. Anesthesia services at the hospital are provided by Palm Springs Anesthesia Services, PC, which is managed by Somnia, Inc. Dr. Schares also serves as director of medical affairs for Somnia's California and New Mexico operations.
Driven by advancing ultrasound technology, nerve blocks have grown in use, especially for orthopedic procedures, because of the benefits they can provide to patients over more traditional anesthetics. "The use of nerve blocks as an adjunct or primary source of anesthesia can reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting and can be near magical in terms of post-op pain relief," says Dr. Schares.
Whether or not a patient receives a nerve block depends on the experience of the clinician and is a decision made by the anesthesiologist, surgeon and patient. While many physicians believe nerve blocks have advantages in terms of post-operative pain relief, Dr. Schares cautions that there is not yet any clear evidence that they are "superior in an absolute sense" than other methods.
More time to prepare vs. speedier discharge
There is another reason the use of nerve blocks is varied. Placing a nerve block takes more time to perform than traditional anesthesia techniques. When the block is placed with the patient already in the operating room, this surely slows things down. However, often the blocks can be placed before the patient goes into the operating room. This means the patient does not require general anesthesia and is ready for surgery immediately upon entering the operating room. Upon completion of surgery the patient does not need to wake up from general anesthetic and can therefore be moved out of the OR as soon as the surgical dressing is in place. The result is the fastest possible turnover of the operating room, explains Dr. Schares.In addition to faster recoveries, the blocks translate into less pain and fewer side effects, and higher patient satisfaction.