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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2014; 41(04): 312-316
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2014.41.4.312
Review Article

Tumescent Local Anesthesia for Hand Surgery: Improved Results, Cost Effectiveness, and Wide-Awake Patient Satisfaction

Donald Lalonde
Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Saint John, NB, Canada
,
Alison Martin
Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Saint John, NB, Canada
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This is a review article of the wide-awake approach to hand surgery. More than 95% of all hand surgery can now be performed without a tourniquet. Epinephrine is injected with lidocaine for hemostasis and anesthesia instead of a tourniquet and sedation. This is sedation-free surgery, much like a visit to a dental office. The myth of danger of using epinephrine in the finger is reviewed. The wide awake technique is greatly improving results in tendon repair, tenolysis, and tendon transfer. Here, we will explain its advantages.

Keywords

Epinephrine - Local anesthesia - Tourniquet


Publication History

Received: 05 August 2013

Accepted: 08 September 2013

Article published online:
05 May 2022

© 2014. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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