In recent years pharmacological and technological research has allowed the development of techniques of anesthesia that permit the early discharge of patients, without compromising their recovery and comfort.

This has enabled a large number of the surgical operations that used to require hospitalization for several days to be carried as out patient procedure. In those operations where it is possible, in particular those involving the upper and lower limbs, preference is now for techniques of peripheral anesthesia.

These entail the injection of a local anesthetic near the nerve trunk to be blocked: in fact local anesthetics are capable of halting the conduction of impulses by the nerves, especially those that transmit the sensation of pain, allowing surgery to be carried out. By choosing different sites for injection, it is possible to "numb" peripheral areas, from a single finger to a whole arm or leg.

The use of extremely fine needles in fact makes even lumbar puncture for the selective anesthesia of a lower limb a safe and completely painless procedure. The speed at which local anesthetics act varies in relation to their chemical structure: it is in any case necessary to give the drug a certain amount of time to take effect and for the block to be complete. It is extremely rare for this group of drugs to produce side effects, and allergic reactions in particular. Together with the complete reversibility of their effect, this makes such techniques of anesthesia very safe.

The patient’s level of comfort can be increased, both during administration of the anesthetic and under surgery, by the administration of mildly sedative or hypnotic drugs by general route. The persistence of the anesthetic effect for several hours allows the patient to remain free of pain in the period immediately after the operation.

In cases where it is not possible to adopt techniques of peripheral anesthesia, for reasons such as the age and condition of the patient, the length of the operation or the fact that the area is not accessible to a local anesthetic, it can be carried out by general anesthesia, using drugs that are rapidly eliminated. In this way the patient can still be discharged the same day, after a suitable period of observation.

The preparation of patients for major operations requires the following blood and instrumental tests to be carried out: electrocardiogram, prothrombinic activity count (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), glycaemia, SGOT azotemia, SGPT.

It is also necessary for the patient not to take food six hours before an operation carried out under general anesthesia, while for operations under peripheral anesthesia it is sufficient to abstain from food for three hours before the operation. Our anesthesiologist staff will be on call 24 hours after surgery, for any need or support.