Regional Femoral Nerve Block Combined with Local Anaesthesia in Day Surgery for Varicose Veins

Abstract 

Three anaesthetic techniques are commonly used in surgery of varicose veins: general anaesthesia, central nerve block and tumescent anaesthesia. In this report we evaluate the efficacy and safety of another method – regional femoral nerve block with additional local anaesthesia. We report the early postoperative outcome in a group of 56 patients managed using this type of anaesthesia. In all cases removal of all incompetent saphenous trunks and varices was accomplished without any operative complication. Two cases of wound infection occurred postoperatively and in three patients skin abrasions were caused by bandages. 62% of patients are asymptomatic 2 months after surgery. We have found this anaesthetic method to be safe, efficient, easy and quick to perform. It offers an alternative to tumescent or general anaesthesia for day surgery in patients with varicose veins.

Keywords: Femoral nerve block, Local anaesthesia, Varicose veins, Ambulatory surgery