Anesthesia

The Hand Surgery Center has highly-trained anesthesiologists (physicians) and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) who work with your surgeon to make your experience safe and pleasant. Several different anesthetic choices are offered to you and your physician.

Local Anesthesia

This technique involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic in the area where the surgery is to be performed. With a local anesthetic, you will be awake for the entire procedure. You will not require an IV or intravenous fluids. This is performed by the surgeon and the anesthesiologist will not be involved with your care.

Monitored Anesthesia Care

One of our most common forms of anesthesia is a technique called "monitored anesthesia care." During this technique an intravenous drip is started in your opposite hand and you are given a sedative by the anesthesiologist or CRNA which makes you very sleepy for a few moments. During this time, your surgeon will inject your operative site with local anesthetic. You probably will not feel this or remember it afterward. You most likely will be partially awake during the rest of the procedure, but you will be comfortable and relaxed.

Regional Anesthesia

Regional anesthesia involves numbing a portion of your body, in this case your arm. Performed by injecting a local anesthetic around the large nerves in your axilla or armpit, this technique has the advantage of providing excellent anesthesia for surgery while allowing you to relax comfortably with a sedative that is placed in your IV. A major advantage of this type of anesthetic is the pain relief that it provides for several hours after surgery.

General Anesthesia

Your surgeon may request a general anesthetic which involves the use of an intravenous sedative and anesthetic gas to keep you unconscious or “asleep” during your surgery. While under general anesthesia, you will be monitored constantly according to the standards recommended by The American Society of Anesthesiologists.