dle of the night, leaving
the patient in pain. The
second worst block is the
one that lasts too long
from the patient's perspec-
tive. When they don't have
control over the operative
limb, they describe the
feeling in the arm or leg as
"paralyzed" or "dead."
Long-acting suspended
release blocks or a cock-
tail of adjuvants don't pro-
vide titratability, which
gives patients the feeling
of control that they want.
CNBs are currently the
only titratable, long-dura-
tion nerve blocks. In terms
of personalized pain medi-
cine for surgical patients,
there's nothing else like it.
From the patient's perspective, it's never good to have a therapy that
you can't adjust and can't control.
Increased access
The most important discussion for administrators and managers in
outpatient surgery settings surrounds increasing access to regional
anesthesia for every patient who would benefit from it. One way to
deliver consistent care is to standardize the procedures offered.
4 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
• GUIDED BY SOUND Ultrasound guidance helps providers place more
effective blocks, which decrease opioid consumption and can help patients
ambulate sooner after surgery.
