Solo hand surgery

Unassisted hand surgery is being undertaken by necessity for both elective and emergency cases, due to hospital resource restrictions. The authors outline the principles of local anesthesia, surgeon-controlled tourniquet techniques, and a number of new instruments which allow a surgeon to work in comfort and safety, unassisted. The traditional surgical instruments designed for the days when trained surgical assistants were available to hold them are no longer suitable. We are entering a new era of surgical design with safer instruments that can complement our skills rather than challenge them. There are significant cost savings and efficiency when hand procedures are undertaken in the emergency and outpatient clinic settings.     

Safety of elective hand surgery following axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer

The development of lymphedema is the most feared complication shared by breast cancer survivors undergoing hand surgery after prior axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Traditionally, these patients are advised to avoid any interventional procedures in the ipsilateral upper extremity. However, the appropriateness of some of these precautions was recently challenged by some surgeons claiming that elective hand operations can be safely performed in these patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our experience and determine the safety of elective hand operations in breast cancer survivors. The medical records of patients operated for different hand conditions after prior breast surgery and ALND at our institution between 1983 and 2002 were reviewed. The techniques and preventive measures performed, use of antibiotics, and upper extremity complications associated with the operations were analyzed. Overall, we operated on 27 patients after prior ALND performed for breast cancer. Follow-up was available for 25 patients. Four patients had pre-existing lymphedema. The surgical technique used was similar to that performed in patients without prior ALND and antibiotic prophylaxis was not given. Delayed wound healing was observed in one patient and finger joint stiffness in another. Two patients with pre-existing lymphedema developed temporary worsening of their condition. None of the patients developed new lymphedema. The results of the present study support the few previous studies, suggesting that hand surgery can be safely performed in patients with prior ALND. Based on these findings, the appropriateness of the rigorous precautions and prohibitions regarding the care and use of the ipsilateral upper extremity may need to be reconsidered.     

Regional anaesthesia for surgery of the forearm and hand

Eighty patients who presented for surgery of the forearm or hand were allocated randomly to one of two groups. In Group A, surgery was performed under supraclavicular brachial plexus block only; a mixture of equal parts of prilocaine 1% and bupivacaine 0.5% without adrenaline was used. In Group B, supraclavicular brachial plexus block was performed using prilocaine 1% alone, but in addition discrete nerve blocks were performed at elbow level using 0.5% bupivacaine without adrenaline. Patients in Group B had a significantly shorter duration of unwanted postoperative motor blockade and a significantly longer duration of postoperative analgesia (p less than 0.005).     

An open-label comparison of local anesthesia with or without sedation for minor hand surgery

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess satisfaction and pain intensity in patients undergoing minor hand surgery under local anesthesia (LA) with or without sedation.

Methods

Seventy-three adult patients presenting to two hand surgeons were enrolled in this prospective observational study in 2012. They completed questionnaires prior to surgery (current pain intensity, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) to measure symptoms of depression, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) to assess the effective coping strategy of pain self-efficacy) and within 48 h after surgery (satisfaction with surgery, satisfaction with anesthesia, pain during the injection, and pain during the procedure). Thirty-seven patients had carpal tunnel release (bilateral in 3), 22 had release of one or more trigger digits, and 12 had excision of a benign tumor, gouty tophus (1 patient), or foreign body (1 patient). Forty-six patients chose LA and 27 chose LA with sedation.

Results

There was no difference in satisfaction with surgery or anesthesia by the type of anesthesia. Satisfaction with surgery was associated with older age alone. Satisfaction with anesthesia was associated with no prior surgery for the same condition. Pain during injection and during the procedure were significantly higher without sedation. Pain during injection was associated with younger age and LA. No factors were associated with pain during the procedure.

Conclusions

Patients that had local anesthesia immediately prior to incision with tourniquet use during surgery had more pain during the procedure but were equally satisfied on average with surgery and with anesthesia compared to patients that had sedation.     

Intra-arterial regional anaesthesia for hand surgery: a dose-finding study

Background: Intra-arterial regional anaesthesia (IARA) may be useful for ambulatory hand surgery in patients with poor veins. This randomized, double-blind study assessed which of the three doses of lignocaine gives the optimal analgesia with a minimum of adverse effects.
Methods: A preservative-free, alkalinized 0.5% lignocaine 1, 2 or 2.89 mg/kg body weight was injected into the radial arteries of 60 adult patients, allocated to three equal groups, to produce anaesthesia for carpal tunnel releases, capsulotomies, tenosynovectomies, palmar fasciectomies, Z-plastics, arthro-plastics, arthrodeses etc.
Results: Surgical analgesia and motor block were best in group 3 ( P < 0.01), whereas injection and tourniquet pain scores were similar in the three groups. Onset of analgesia was similar in all groups, and varied between 2 and 15 min. Can-nulation time, surgery start time and tourniquet time were also similar in all groups, as were operating conditions and patient's acceptance of the method. No significant cardiovascular changes were observed after tourniquet release in any of the groups. Plasma lignocaine concentrations were lowest in group 1 (1 mg/kg) ( P < 0.001). Five patients in group 1, seven in group 2 and seventeen in group 3 developed small bruises at the cannulation site ( P <0.001). Six patients (two in group 1, three in group 2 and one in group 3) had minor symptoms of lignocaine toxicity after tourniquet release (NS). No other complications were observed.
Conclusions: The highest dose of lignocaine produces best surgical analgesia, without increasing the risk of toxicity. However, many patients receiving this dose will develop bruises at the injection site, and an occasional patient may need supplemental analgesia.     

Reconstruction of the hand with wide awake surgery

Wide awake hand surgery means no sedation, no tourniquet, and no general anesthesia for hand surgery. The only medications given to the patient are lidocaine with epinephrine. Lidocaine is for anesthesia, and epinephrine provides hemostasis, which deletes the need for a tourniquet. The advantages are: (1) the ability of the comfortable unsedated tourniquet-free patient to perform active movement of the reconstructed structures during surgery so the surgeon can make alterations to the reconstruction before the skin is closed to improve the outcome of many surgeries; and (2) the deletion of all risks, costs, and inconveniences of sedation and general anesthesia.     

Regional anaesthesia for eye surgery

Many ophthalmic procedures are conducted under a range of local anaesthetic techniques. These range from topical drops through to sharp needle blocks with local anaesthetic. The most commonly used block is the sub-Tenon block; it provides excellent operating conditions while reducing complications and risks.     

Patients' experiences with multiple stimulation axillary block for fast-track ambulatory hand surgery

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory axillary block by multiple nerve stimulation (MNS) is effective and time efficient, but may be rejected by patients because of block pain. This prospective study assessed patients' anxiety and acceptance of this block, identified which of the components of blocking procedure is most painful (i.v. line insertion, repeated needle passes, local anesthetic injection, or electrical stimulation) and recorded patients' anesthetic preferences for the future hand surgery. METHODS: Upon arrival at the day unit, 100 unpremedicated adult patients without previous experience of peripheral nerve stimulation indicated on the visual analog scale (VAS; 0-100) their anxiety about the block. The blocking procedure was then explained step-by-step. After inserting the i.v. line and freezing the skin in axilla, four terminal nerves (musculocutaneous, median, ulnar, radial) were electrolocated using an initial current of 2 mA and a target current of 0.1-0.5 mA. Pain caused by the individual components of blocking procedure was assessed on VAS before the start of surgery. On the day after the operation, the patients reassessed their anxiety for the next axillary block and indicated which anesthetic method (block alone, block plus sedation, or general anesthesia) they would prefer for the future hand surgery. RESULTS: Before the block, 59 patients admitted being anxious about regional block (median anxiety VAS=27), compared with 42 patients (anxiety VAS=10) postoperatively: P<0.01. Median intensity of electrical stimulation pain was significantly higher (VAS=16) than pain of local anesthetic injections (VAS=8), i.v. line insertion (VAS=6) and multiple needle passes (VAS=5). However, only 53 patients categorized electrolocation as painful. Twenty-seven reported discomfort but not pain, and 20 patients described the sensation as 'funny' or 'strange'. None of the patients had surgical pain during operation. Mean duration of surgery was 77 min, and of hospital stay 166 min. Ninety-eight patients would choose the same block for the future hand surgery, 13 of which would like sedation before the block, and two patients did not wish to be awake during any surgery. Ninety-five patients were satisfied with fast-tracking. CONCLUSIONS: Fear of block pain is diminished after experiencing the blocking procedure. Electrical stimuli was perceived as painful by 53% of patients, and this pain was more intense than with other block components. The majority of our patients would choose axillary block without sedation for future hand surgery and are satisfied with fast-tracking.     

Regional anesthesia and obesity

The potential advantages of regional anesthesia include minimal airway intervention, less cardiopulmonary depression, excellent postoperative analgesia, less postoperative nausea and vomiting, and shorter recovery room and hospital stays. These concerns are particularly important for the obese surgical patient. This review discusses the application of regional anesthetic techniques in obesity. Further clinical studies are needed to fill the knowledge gap about regional anesthesia and outcome in obese and morbidly obese patients.     

Regional anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery

Ophthalmic surgery can be conducted under local anaesthesia (LA), with techniques ranging from topical anaesthetic drops to sharp needle regional blocks. The sub-Tenon's block is the most common regional technique in current practice superseding sharp needle techniques (e.g. retrobulbar block). A sub-Tenon's block is a safe and effective means of providing analgesia, anaesthesia and good operating conditions.     

Economic analysis in hand surgery

Economic analysis is a method for allocating resources among competing alternatives. Four techniques commonly used in an economic analysis are cost-minimization analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and cost-utility analysis. These analyses provide information to guide medical decisions and to set funding priorities. Understanding the differences between the techniques allows for better decision making. Although economic analysis is used widely in other fields of medicine, its use in studies of disorders of the hand has been sparse. Only recently has economic analysis been included in studies focused on the care of the upper-extremity patient. As such, to interpret the results of these studies better, hand surgeons need to understand the similarities and differences and the strengths and weaknesses of the different techniques. Such an understanding will allow hand surgeons to know when economic analyses are comparable. Furthermore it will aid them in providing their patients not only medically sound care, but also economically efficient care. This article provides a synopsis of the most widely used and accepted techniques for performing an economic analysis. The key concepts of each of the 4 techniques are shown by using the small number of studies that are available in the upper-extremity literature.     

手外科出院患者回顾性流行病学调查

目的了解手显微外科创伤住院病人的来源、伤因、医疗费用等，为预防、科研及有关部门提供参考数据。方法设计调查内容表，抽调手外科2002年1月1日～12月31日出院的所有病例，入选标准为创伤后2周以内住院病例。结果入选病例共331例，年龄3～94岁，平均35．9岁。其中开放伤234例，占70．7％；闭合伤97例，占29．3％。20～40岁男178例，占53．8％。受伤性质：压砸捻挫伤173例，占52．3％；切割伤81例，占24．5％；撕脱伤9例，占2．7％；烧炸伤3例，占0．9％；生物伤2例，占0．6％；其他（主要为居家跌倒伤）64例，占19．3％。平均住院天数为15．3天。住院病人均次费用4558元，药比率23％。结论（1）本组病人的平均年龄约36岁，20～40岁青壮年占一半以上，对劳动力损失较大。（2）夏季及晨、晚问的受伤比例较高；可能与高温、倒时差作业疲劳、光线暗淡等有关，应开展有针对性的研究。（3）加强车间、工地的安全设施及安全教育，加强就业培训、改善居家老人的生存状况，可明显减少创伤的发生。     

New trends in regional anesthesia for shoulder surgery: Avoiding devastating complications

Surgeons and patients are often reluctant to support regional anesthesia (RA) for shoulder and other orthopedic surgeries. This is because of the sometimes true but usually incorrectly perceived "slowing down" of operating room turnover time and the perceived potential for added morbidity. Recently, severe devastating and permanent nerve injury complications have surfaced, and this article attempts to clarify the modern place of RA for shoulder surgery and the prevention of these complications. A philosophical approach to anesthesiology and regional anesthesiology is offered, while a fresh appreciation for the well-described and often forgotten microanatomy of the brachial plexus is revisited to explain and avoid some of the devastating complications of RA for shoulder surgery.     

The role of prophylactic antibiotics in elective hand surgery

The current literature has poorly defined the role of antibiotic agents in elective hand surgery. The reason for this may be due to a small number of well-designed studies specifically addressing the efficacy of antibiotics in hand surgery. Our purpose is to critically review the current literature in an attempt to more precisely define the role of prophylactic antibiotics in elective hand surgery.