Evidence basis for regional anesthesia in multidisciplinary fast-track surgical care pathways

Fast-track programs have been developed with the aim to reduce perioperative surgical stress and facilitate patient's recovery after surgery. Potentially, regional anesthesia and analgesia techniques may offer physiological advantages to support fast-track methodologies in different type of surgeries. The aim of this article was to identify and discuss potential advantages offerred by regional anesthesia and analgesia techniques to fast-track programs.In the first section, the impact of regional anesthesia on the main elements of fast-track surgery is addressed. In the second section, procedure-specific fast-track programs for colorectal, hernia, esophageal, cardiac, vascular, and orthopedic surgeries are presented. For each, regional anesthesia and analgesia techniques more frequently used are discussed. Furthermore, clinical studies, which included regional techniques as elements of fast-track methodologies, were identified. The impact of epidural and paravertebral blockade, spinal analgesia, peripheral nerve blocks, and new regional anesthesia techniques on main procedure-specific postoperative outcomes is discussed. Finally, in the last section, implementations required to improve the role of regional anesthesia in the context of fast-track programs are suggested, and issues not yet addressed are presented.     

Regional anesthesia for laparoscopy

A variety of laparoscopic procedures can be performed on patients under regional anesthesia. Diagnostic laparoscopy in elective and emergency patients, pain mapping, laparoscopy for infertility, and tubal sterilization are some examples. The key benefits of regional anesthesia include less emesis, less postoperative pain, shorter postoperative stay, improved patient satisfaction, and overall safety. Regional techniques, such as rectus sheath blocks, inguinal blocks, and caudal blocks, are useful adjuncts to general anesthesia and facilitate postoperative analgesia. Other techniques, such as spinal and epidural anesthesia, and combination of the two, are suitable as a sole anesthetic technique for laparoscopy. The physiologic changes during laparoscopy in the awake patient appear to be tolerated well under regional anesthesia. It is reasonable to assume that with advances in instrumentation and surgical techniques, the role of laparoscopy will increase in the future. The benefits conferred by regional anesthesia make it an attractive option to general anesthesia for many patients and procedures. Successful implementation of regional anesthesia is an important determinant of how anesthesiologists, surgeons, and surgical facilities cope with new challenges. In the future, it could be possible to provide "walk-in/walk-out" regional anesthesia with a real possibility of fast tracking patients through the recovery process after ambulatory surgery. For maximal patient safety, however, facilities offering regional anesthesia must have appropriately trained anesthesia personnel and the equipment necessary for monitoring and providing full resuscitation in the event of complications or a need to convert to general anesthesia.     

Training on regional anesthesia—From neurostimulation to ultrasound

The number of procedures carried out with regional anesthesia techniques is increasingly higher; this applies not only to the anesthetic act itself but also includes postoperative analgesia, with the added advantage of the possibility of being a tool that prevents pain from becoming chronic. Anesthesiologists should be adequately trained in neurostimulation and ultrasound regional anesthesia techniques. The progress of ultrasound over the last few years has pushed both anatomical cutaneous references and basic pharmacologic knowledge into the background, so as to focus essentially on ultrasound visualization. This article reviews the different elements required for a good training in regional anesthesia (phantoms, simulators, tutorials, corpse workshop, etc) without disregarding neurostimulation, and it focuses on ultrasound as the main nerve location tool for the performance of regional anesthesia techniques.     

Regional anesthesia meets ultrasound: a specialty in transition

Despite its well-known benefits, regional anesthesia has not attained the stature, simplicity, and safety of general anesthesia. Many of the challenges and clinical failures of regional anesthetic techniques can be attributed to fact that neurovascular anatomy is highly variable. Furthermore, current nerve localization techniques provide little or no information regarding the anatomical spread local anesthesia. Recently, ultrasound technology has been utilized by anesthesiologists in an attempt to minimize many of the drawbacks of traditional nerve block techniques. This review article will update the reader on the current status of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, provide an evidence-based context, and supply key facts regarding ultrasound physics. In the process, we will also highlight several possible limitations of ultrasound techniques including learning curve issues, costs, and artifact generation.     

Regionalanästhesie und neurologische Erkrankungen

Modern anesthesia is handling an increasing number of patients with neurological diseases who require narcosis. Regional anesthesia techniques offer qualities which might be advantageous for this group particularly for childbirth. The number of pregnant women with neurological diseases has increased significantly in the recent years due to improved diagnostics and therapy. A more careful approach to regional anesthesia in patients with neurological diseases is necessary as the drugs themselves possess neurotoxic effects and the procedure might worsen the underlying neurological diseases. Additionally, performing regional anesthesia might be more complicated and the resulting blockade might be different from the expected neuronal block. Published data concerning regional anesthesia in this patient group are limited and mainly restricted to case reports. In this review general considerations regarding regional anesthesia, techniques, drugs and methods in these patient groups will be discussed. In the second part the practical approach to regional anesthesia for some of the most important neurological diseases is highlighted.     

Regional anesthesia in trauma patients

Medical and surgical treatment of the trauma patient has evolved in the last decade. Treatment of pain from multiple fractures or injured organs and surgical anesthesia with regional anesthesia techniques have been used to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder and reduce the adverse effects of general anesthesia. Neuraxial blocks and peripheral nerve block techniques should be practiced by trained emergency and operatory room staff. This article reviews recent publications related to the role of regional anesthesia in trauma patients in the prehospital, emergency, and operatory room settings. It also describes indications, limitations, and practical aspects of regional anesthesia.     

Regional techniques as an adjunct to general anesthesia for pediatric extremity and spine surgery

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the safety of regional anesthesia techniques performed for postoperative analgesia in anesthetized children. Pediatric regional anesthesia techniques, such as nerve blocks and neuraxial injections of either local anesthetics or narcotics, can potentially reduce postoperative pain for all children undergoing surgery. However, children may react differently to anesthesia than adults, and they usually cannot tolerate the administration of regional anesthesia unless they are under general anesthesia.During a 5-year period (1999-2004) at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, 2236 regional anesthetic procedures were performed in 1809 patients. All of the regional procedures were performed with patients under general anesthesia. Ninety-one percent (1641) of patients were for orthopaedic extremity or spine surgeries. Patients ranged from 2 months to 20 years old, with 65% (1169) between the ages of 6 months and 12 years. One thousand eleven procedures were lower extremity blocks, 646 were upper extremity blocks, and 579 were neuraxial injections. Four hundred fifty-four peripheral nerve blocks were performed in patients aged 3 years or younger. Two self-limiting complications possibly related to peripheral nerve blocks were noted. No complications were noted in patients who received neuraxial injections. This retrospective review indicates that regional anesthesia techniques performed 'under general anesthesia have a low rate of complications in children. A prospective trial is recommended to establish the efficacy and safety of this practice.     

Everyday regional anesthesia in children

Regional anesthesia in children is an evolving technique with many advantages in perioperative management. Although most regional anesthesia techniques are sufficiently described in the literature, the implementation of these techniques into daily clinical practice is still lacking. The main problems associated with pediatric regional anesthesia (PRA) include the appropriate selection of blockade, the management around the block, and how to teach these techniques in an optimal manner. This review article provides an overview of these ‘hot’ topics in PRA.     

Regionalanästhesie in der Orthopädie

Regional anesthesia has its place in the perioperative pain management of orthopedic patients. A reduction in postoperative mortality and morbidity with regional anesthesia is acknowledged for subsets of patient populations. Single shot and continuous applications are techniques for providing regional analgesia. Continuous infusion of local anesthetics with catheter techniques provides for uninterrupted postoperative analgesia. The combination of regional and general anesthesia reduces the consumption of systemic anesthetics. The side effects of opioid therapy are thereby reduced. The inhibition of intraoperative stress reaction, especially with epidural anesthesia, helps to prevent or lower unwanted metabolic changes. Patient contentment with analgesic quality differs with the technique with which the regional anesthesia is applied (PDA, PCEA, IVRA, peripheral block, i.a. injection), and the medication (LA, opioid) used.     

Recent developments in regional anesthesia for ambulatory surgery

The use of regional anesthesia techniques is increasing in popularity because they reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, including nausea, vomiting, and pain, and decrease the recovery time and hospital stay. This article reviews the recent developments in regional anesthesia techniques and the modifications necessary to adapt them for ambulatory surgery.     

Regional anesthesia for urologic procedures

Most urologic procedures can be performed under regional blockade anesthesia. These techniques present specific advantages, including the avoidance of the consequences of general anesthesia. The employment of regional anesthesia is a skill requiring knowledge of anatomy and of the desirable and undesirable actions of local anesthetic agents. Sedation of patients undergoing regional blockade offers specific advantages that may contribute to the patient's comfort and safety.     

Daniel C. Moore, MD, and the renaissance of regional anesthesia in North America

While much attention is paid to the early days of organized regional anesthesia in North America under the leadership of Gaston Labat in New York, there was a period of decline in energy and activity in those techniques after the demise of his original American Society of Regional Anesthesia in 1940. In the years after World War II, questions were raised about the safety and utility of regional blockade. Dr. Daniel C. Moore emerged as a colorful and enthusiastic advocate of regional techniques, effectively leading a renaissance of regional anesthesia interest through his textbook, teaching, and research in Seattle, Washington. His protégés were instrumental in the rebirth of American Society of Regional Anesthesia and the extensive spread of regional anesthesia today.     

Epidural and caudal anesthesia performed under general anesthesia: The pediatric experience

The performance of regional anesthetic techniques on anesthetized children is an accepted standard of care in the international pediatric anesthesia community. Despite recent editorials condemning its practice in adults, these combined techniques continue to grow in pediatric anesthesia. Prospective and retrospective studies have been published establishing their safety and efficacy. Complications have been recognized in these studies and in case reports. These complications are related to inadvertent intravascular injection of local anesthetics, epidural identification by loss of resistance with air, inadequate knowledge of pediatric anatomy, and inappropriate equipment selection, not because the child was under general anesthesia. These complication rates compare favorably with similar techniques performed on conscious adults. Continuous epidural techniques are widely employed with significant effort directed at achieving the appropriate dermatomal level so local anesthetic-opioid infusions can be provided postoperatively. Performing these techniques in patients under general anesthesia facilitates the application of regional anesthesia in children. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company     

Survey of anesthetic choice among Fellows of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology

Two hundred and fifty Fellows of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology were surveyed concerning their personal preference of anesthetic technique, regional versus general anesthesia, through the use of two scenarios. Those surveyed preferred regional anesthesia as opposed to general anesthesia in both emergency and elective scenarios. These results are consistent with similar studies of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists, although these groups demonstrated an even greater bias toward regional anesthetic techniques.     

Benefits, risks, and best practice in regional anesthesia: do we have the evidence we need?

For more than 25 years, regional anesthesia has challenged anesthesiologists to determine whether it offers real benefits in terms of patient outcome from major surgery, compared with general anesthesia. Although there is good evidence that regional analgesia offers superior pain relief to systemic opioid analgesia, evidence to support improved outcome from surgery remains elusive. Although many publications appear to support the hypothesis, others show no benefit, and the lack of properly conducted, large studies makes it difficult to draw any evidence-based conclusions in favor of regional anesthesia. Given that all major regional techniques have the potential to cause significant risks to patient outcome, it is incumbent on all anesthesiologists to balance the intended benefits against the significant adverse events associated with regional techniques. We are beginning to develop an evidence base for both the benefits and risks of regional anesthesia, when used for specific patient groups and for specific surgical procedures. This presentation looks at some of the evidence and examines how it can be used to develop guidelines for best practice.     

The use of central regional anesthesia techniques in Sweden: results of a nation-wide survey

Background: Epidural and subarachnoid anesthesia are well established central regional techniques for surgical anesthesia. TWO additional techniques, combined spinal epidural (CSE) block and continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA), have recently become popular. However, data on nation-wide use of central regional blocks are not available.
Method: With the aims to survey the use of central regional techniques, to evaluate the risk of complications to central regional blocks and to document the use of continuous epidural techniques for postoperative pain management in Sweden during 1993, a questionnaire was mailed to all 105 Swedish anesthesiology departments.
Results: Questionnaires were returned by 62 departments, representing all categories of Swedish hospitals. Central regional blocks were used for surgical anesthesia in 2040% of reported surgical procedures. Subarachnoid anesthesia was the main technique for orthopedic surgery on the lower limb, elective cesarean section and transurethral resection of the prostate. Epidural block was used for orthopedic and vascular surgery. CSE block was used by 42 departments and CSA by 21 departments. Postoperative epidural analgesia was used by 59 departments, most commonly with continuous infusion of local anesthestics and/or epidural bolusdoses of morphine. Nineteen neurological sequelae were reported after epidural (n=7) and subarachnoid (n=12) blocks. Routines for registration of complications varied greatly.
Conclusions: Subarachnoid block was preferred for shorter surgical procedures (<60 min), whereas epidural and CSE blocks were chosen when severe postoperative pain could be anticipated, as continuous epidural analgesia was well established for postoperative pain management. Improved routines for registration of complications to central regional blocks are needed.     

New insights into regional anesthesia in children: new techniques and new indications

The applications and indications for pediatric regional anesthesia continue to increase. Several recent advances have occurred in the understanding of this technology in children, including improved techniques, alternative drug combinations, as well as prospective investigations to understand the nature and incidence of adverse effects associated with these techniques when used in pediatric patients. The following article will review recent information from the literature concerning various regional anesthetic techniques in children, including caudal epidural block, lumbar and thoracic epidural anesthesia, and peripheral nerve blockade.     

Continuous spinal anesthesia and analgesia in obstetrics

The development of the technique of continuous spinal anesthesia as it relates to the obstetric population is recounted. The advantages and disadvantages of continuous spinal anesthesia are examined, currently available catheters and kits are reviewed, and strategies for the management of continuous spinal techniques for labor analgesia and surgical anesthesia are discussed. Continuous spinal anesthesia may have particular value over other regional techniques in several specific clinical circumstances.     

Safety in pediatric regional anesthesia

The use of regional anesthesia is increasingly common in pediatric practice. This review reports the complications and risks in pediatric regional anesthesia. Few large studies reported incidence of complications. However, the different studies have shown that regional anesthesia, when performed properly, carried a very low risk of morbidity in appropriately selected infants and children. In addition, the use of ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blockade has shown some promise toward increasing the safety profile of these already safe techniques.