Anesthesia Complications and Considerations with Hand and Wrist Surgery.

Abstract

Anesthesia has become very safe. Numerous anesthetic options for hand and wrist surgery exist. Optimizing patient outcomes can be achieved more reliably when anesthesiologists and surgeons collaborate to better understand the surgical and patient-related needs for anesthesia. Examples include planning for the anticipated degree of tourniquet-related pain for longer surgeries, determining if patient can tolerate deep sedation without secured airway, and determining the best way to obtain optimal surgical field visualization. Understanding the risks and benefits of various anesthetic options from surgical and anesthetic perspectives will help in making informed decisions about anesthetic options.