Ankle tourniquet pain control in forefoot surgery: A randomized study

Alon Burg*, Yehezkel Tytiun, Steven Velkes, Snir Heller, Barak Haviv, Israel Dudkiewicz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Forefoot surgery is often performed under regional anesthesia in awake patients, using tourniquet or Esmarch bandage to obtain a bloodless field. The purpose of this study was to examine the value and need for local tourniquet pain control using local subcutaneous analgesic mixture in patients undergoing forefoot surgery under ankle block anesthesia. Materials and Methods: We prospectively randomized 56 patients who underwent forefoot surgery under ankle block to receive either subcutaneous local anesthetic mixture under the tourniquet or no additional anesthetic. We checked for local tourniquet pain score (VAS 0 to 100) and skin condition during and after the procedure. Results: The tourniquet was quite tolerable in both groups, with an average VAS score of 7 to 21. No difference was observed between groups throughout most of the procedure. No correlation between VAS scores and procedure length or patient's age or gender was found. Conclusion: An ankle tourniquet was well-tolerated by patients without need for local anesthetic beneath the cuff. Level of Evidence: II, Prospective Comparative Study.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)595-598
Number of pages4
JournalFoot and Ankle International
Volume32
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2011

Keywords

  • Forefoot surgery
  • Pain
  • Regional anesthesia
  • Tourniquet

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