title: Role of regional anesthesia in foot and ankle surgery.
abstract: Regional anesthesia has increasingly expanded its role in the perioperative care of patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery. In addition to avoiding side effects associated with both general anesthesia and neuraxial anesthetic techniques, especially those related to cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, regional nerve blocks have been shown to improve postoperative pain and reduce hospital stay and associated expenses. The techniques utilized to achieve analgesia of the foot and ankle are diverse, multifaceted, and often incorporate ultrasound guidance. Given the aging of patient populations, and especially the growing incidence of cardiovascular-, pulmonary-, and obesity-related morbidity, the use of regional blocks is likely to expand in these surgical procedures. This review highlights some of the most current developments in the expanding role of regional anesthesia in foot and ankle surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic, Level II.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (NV, BM, SA)Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (AMK)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (VK)Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut (PB).
authors: Nalini
authors: N
authors: Vadivelu
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (NV, BM, SA)Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (AMK)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (VK)Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut (PB).
authors: Alice M
authors: AM
authors: Kai
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (NV, BM, SA)Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (AMK)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (VK)Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut (PB) Benjamin.maslin@yale.edu.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Maslin
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (NV, BM, SA)Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (AMK)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (VK)Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut (PB).
authors: Vijay
authors: V
authors: Kodumudi
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (NV, BM, SA)Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (AMK)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (VK)Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut (PB).
authors: Sible
authors: S
authors: Antony
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (NV, BM, SA)Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (AMK)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (VK)Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut (PB).
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Blume
mesh_terms: D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000379:methods*; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000601:surgery; D033023:Foot Joints / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: foot and ankle surgery; postoperative pain; regional anesthesia