[Venous surgery of the lower limb: value of nerve blocks].

Abstract

The author describes his experience of 152 cases of saphenous veins surgery performed under sciatic and femoral blocks. These nerves were located by a nervestimulation. Femoral nerve was blocked under the inguinal ligament; the sciatic nerve is blocked by the posterior approach, at the buttocks. 152 patients, 136 cases were considered satisfactory: patients felt comfortable during and after the surgery; the stripper got up the vein more easily because of the vasoplegia; very good haemodynamic stability during changes in positioning; excellent nociceptive protection during the surgery. Sixteen cases were not satisfactory: the patient couldn't overcome his anxiety; the anaesthesiologist made technical mistakes; unbearable pain at the infero-internal face of the knee during the stripping. Considering these results, the blocks of the lower extremity could be an alternative to other anaesthetic techniques.