Journal article
Use of peripheral blocks and tourniquets in foot surgery: A survey of Australian orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons.
- Gruetter F University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: florian.gruetter@usb.ch.
- Rudkin G Specialist Anaesthetic Services, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Stavrou P Adelaide Orthosports Clinic, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Dracopoulos G Orthopaedics SA, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Jakob M University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Iselin LD University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: lukas.iselin@usb.ch.
- 2015-11-14
Published in:
- Foot and ankle surgery : official journal of the European Society of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. - 2015
Ankle
Ankle block
Forefoot
Midfoot
Rearfoot
Regional anaesthesia
Tourniquet
Adult
Aged
Anesthesia, General
Australia
Foot
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Middle Aged
Nerve Block
Orthopedic Procedures
Tourniquets
English
BACKGROUND
The most common reasons for unplanned admission to the hospital from outpatient surgery have the potential to be minimised or eliminated by peripheral nerve blocks (PNB). Tourniquets are commonly used in elective extremity surgery but it's use is mostly guided by personal preferences and does no correlate with the existing literature. Our aim was to explore the current practice of PNB and tourniquet use by foot and ankle surgeons in Australia.
METHODS
The Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Society (AOFAS) annual meeting was held in Adelaide in 2011. Members were asked to complete an electronic survey on their current use of peripheral nerve blocks and tourniquets. Two specific elective case scenarios were included for comment, one pertaining to forefoot pathology, the other hindfoot pathology.
RESULTS
Twenty-three AOFAS members replied to the survey, an overall response rate of 76.6%. Of these, only two surgeons did not use ankle blocks in elective surgery and none were prepared to operate without a tourniquet. Most Australian foot and ankle surgeons were reluctant to use local anaesthetic techniques without an accompanying GA.
CONCLUSIONS
While the literature suggests that GA may add to complications without any benefit for the procedure and that distally based tourniquets may add benefit, these are not the favoured techniques in Australian foot and ankle surgeons.
The most common reasons for unplanned admission to the hospital from outpatient surgery have the potential to be minimised or eliminated by peripheral nerve blocks (PNB). Tourniquets are commonly used in elective extremity surgery but it's use is mostly guided by personal preferences and does no correlate with the existing literature. Our aim was to explore the current practice of PNB and tourniquet use by foot and ankle surgeons in Australia.
METHODS
The Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Society (AOFAS) annual meeting was held in Adelaide in 2011. Members were asked to complete an electronic survey on their current use of peripheral nerve blocks and tourniquets. Two specific elective case scenarios were included for comment, one pertaining to forefoot pathology, the other hindfoot pathology.
RESULTS
Twenty-three AOFAS members replied to the survey, an overall response rate of 76.6%. Of these, only two surgeons did not use ankle blocks in elective surgery and none were prepared to operate without a tourniquet. Most Australian foot and ankle surgeons were reluctant to use local anaesthetic techniques without an accompanying GA.
CONCLUSIONS
While the literature suggests that GA may add to complications without any benefit for the procedure and that distally based tourniquets may add benefit, these are not the favoured techniques in Australian foot and ankle surgeons.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- closed
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1016/j.fas.2015.03.002
- PMID 26564732
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/232324
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