A new method that replaces general anaesthesia was introduced recently in a Hospital of the Habana
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- 02 / 28 / 2009
The procedure has been developed by a team of Anaesthesiology, Recovery and Pain Therapy researchers of the hospital, and is used in operations for patients with traumatic injuries in the upper limbs.
According to Dr. Alain Ayme Armstrong, the project leader, the technique consists of blocking the root of the nerves that extend from the cervical spinal cord level to the arms, intercepting the nerve impulses responsible for the movement and sensitivity of the limb.
The medication needed for the blocking is introduced through a catheter or probe that can be maintained after the operation, which allows the control of the pain even in the recovery period.
"We can minimize the pain after surgery, so the benefits are greater. The less the affected limb hurts the faster the patient’s rehabilitation begins,” said the doctor.
This new procedure is less aggressive to the rest of the body and does not compromise its vital functions. Moreover, the highest cost of the application, once the locator of peripheral nerve equipment is acquired, is the purchase of disposable materials, much cheaper than the expensive drugs needed to implement general anaesthesia.
According to the doctor, in the case of complications or if surgery is prolonged, the new method is applied in combination with general anaesthesia to control the pain after surgery and prevent the patient remaining awake for several hours in the operating room.
The possibilities of extending the project to operations on the lower limbs and decreasing the uses of anaesthesia are a matter of ongoing studies for these specialists in order to minimize the dangers provoked by surgery.
(Juventud Rebelde)
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