Local anesthesia: regional

Introduction

• Many surgical procedures routinely carried out under general anesthesia can be performed under local anesthesia.

Uses

• Useful for foot surgery since torniquet reduces hemorrhage at surgical site.
• Useful for biopsies, removal of foreign body from paw.
• Useful for animals with systemic disease which would complicate general anesthesia.
• Does not distort surgical site.

Advantages

• Simple equipment required.

Disadvantages

• Inadequately restrained animal may move during procedure.
• Must identify limit of anesthetized area before operating.

Preparation

• A few minutes to gather equipment.

Requirements

Materials required

Minimum equipment

• Torniquet.
• Can use purpose bought tourniquets, stout elastic (rubber) bands, Penrose drains. These can be tied around the limb, or clamped tight with a hemostat.

Minimum consumables

• Needle and syringe.
• Local anesthetic lidocaine (do not exceed 5 mg/kg) or bupivacaine (0.5 ml/10 kg).
• Do not exceed 3 mg/kg total dose of local anesthetic.
  Do not use agents combined with epinephrine

Ideal consumables

• Intravenous cannula/catheter.

Sequelae

Reasons for treatment failure

• Torniquet insufficiently tight.
• Insufficient dose of local anesthetic used.