Major neck surgeries under regional anesthesia

Purpose: Major neck surgeries are conventionally performed under general anesthesia. To receive general anesthesia, patients must meet certain criteria that have attendant limitations. This report discusses the investigator's experiences with performing major neck surgeries under regional anesthesia. Materials and Methods: Fifty major neck surgeries were performed (30 thyroidectomies, 10 laryngectomies with or without neck dissection, 3 thyroglossal cyst, 2 branchial cyst, and 5 submandibular gland excisions) under regional anesthesia over a period of 2 years between March 1994 and March 1996. The selection criteria of patients for regional anesthesia, the regional neural blocks used, the technique of performing these blocks, the efficacy, advantages, and limitations of these blocks are all discussed. Results: The combination of regional neural blocks and intraoperative medications produced superb analgesia and good patient compliance. Intraoperative blood loss was minimal. With postoperative complications being negligible, recovery was faster. Conclusion: Regional anesthesia is an effective alternative to general anesthesia for neck surgeries of less than 4 hours' duration.