This review will bring to the reader's attention recent developments in the literature regarding
regional anesthesia in the outpatient setting, and allow the reader to evaluate whether these developments are appropriate for inclusion in clinical practice.
RECENT FINDINGS: The most stimulating developments in the area of
regional anesthesia for outpatients revolve around the use of continuous
analgesic therapy for outpatients after discharge. This is reflected in recent publications describing the use of continuous
catheters for peripheral nerve blockade using portable pumps to provide 48-72 h of postoperative
analgesia. These devices have raised the hope of
opioid-free
pain relief for virtually the entire duration of
postsurgical pain in the outpatient setting. There are also increasing numbers of suggestions on ways to improve the quality of
spinal anesthesia in the outpatient setting, particularly by using lower doses of
lidocaine to reduce the problem of transient
neurologic symptoms after spinal blockade. Several authors have investigated the cost implications of regional techniques in the outpatient setting, and have concluded that they are very competitive with the
general anesthetic techniques that are frequently employed.
SUMMARY: