Don't Want General Anesthesia - Want Conscious Sedation for Meniscus Surgery - What Is Your Experience?

[ArchiMark]

Need input regarding some needed laporoscopic (?) surgery to repair my wife's torn meniscus.

For variety of reasons, my wife does not want general or full anesthesia.

Instead she wants to use the conscious sedation approach. Our understanding from some people who've had the surgery done this way is that it can be done intravenously, and with some shots locally in the knee area.

However, surgeons my wife has spoken to have said that if she goes with conscious sedation she would also need to have a shot in the back or in the hip, which they warned her quite strongly has some risks to it.

If you have had experience with doing this surgery with conscious sedation and without a shot in the back or hip, we would greatly appreciate it if you would please share your thoughts and experiences about this approach.

Thank you!

[ArchiMark]

So, does anyone have any experiences with doing this kind of surgery without full anesthesia, but just with IV line and local at the knee (or similar)?

If so, would appreciate hearing your experience with it.

Thanks!

[ArchiMark]

Thanks for your reply, Dr_Veena. We appreciate your input.

As I wrote, my wife does not want a spinal or epidural, or even a regional block. She just wants the IV line and if needed a local anesthetic at the knee. She has talked with someone who says that they did it that way.

What we are hoping for is to hear from anyone else that has done it that way and what were their experiences.

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
     How are you? Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure by which the internal structure of a joint is examined for diagnosis and/or treatment using a tube-like viewing instrument called an arthroscope. If a procedure can be done arthroscopically instead of by traditional surgical techniques, it usually causes less tissue trauma, results in less pain, and may promote a quicker recovery. Common joint injuries for which arthroscopy is considered include cartilage tears (meniscus tears), ligament strains and tears, and cartilage deterioration underneath the kneecap (patella).

Arthroscopy is most often performed as an outpatient procedure. The patient will check into the facility where the procedure is being performed and an intravenous line (IV) established in order to administer fluids and medication. The type of anesthesia used varies depending on the joint being examined and the medical health of the patient.

Arthroscopy can be performed under a general anesthetic, a spinal or epidural anesthetic, a regional block (where only the extremity being examined is numbed), or even a local anesthetic. After adequate anesthesia is achieved, the procedure can begin. So, if your wife does not want a general anaesthesia, she can opt for a regional or epidural or a spinal anaesthesia. If a local anesthetic has been used, there may be no pain at all immediately after the procedure.
Hope this information helps.
Best.