title: Ulnar nerve transposition at the elbow under local anesthesia: a patient satisfaction study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ulnar nerve decompression at the elbow traditionally requires regional or general anesthesia. We wished to assess the feasibility of performing ulnar nerve decompression and transposition at the elbow under local anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined retrospectively the charts of 50 consecutive patients having undergone ulnar nerve entrapment surgery either under general or local anesthesia. Patients were asked to estimate pain on postoperative days 1 and 7 and satisfaction was assessed at 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On day 1, pain was comparable among all groups. On day 7, pain scores were twice as high when transposition was performed under general anesthesia when compared with local anesthesia. Patient satisfaction was slightly increased in the local anesthesia group. These patients were significantly more willing to repeat the surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ulnar nerve decompression and transposition at the elbow can be performed under local anesthesia without added morbidity when compared with general anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pietro M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Roberti del Vecchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Raffoul
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D004550:Elbow / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D017769:Ulnar Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000601:surgery*