Anesthesia for knee surgery

Interventions on the knee are usually performed under general anesthesia of the patient or with spinal anesthesia. The interventions are usually minimally invasive, so that the operation is as short and gentle as possible and the patient can leave the hospital as quickly as possible. Operations on the knee are generally performed in bloodless conditions.

For this purpose, a cuff is used, as in regular blood pressure measurement, to cut off the blood supply from the leg for the entire duration of the operation. As the pressure of the cuff is very high, general anesthesia is necessary because patients would otherwise not be able to withstand the pressure and the pain associated with it and there is a risk of movement. Likewise, general or spinal anesthesia also prevents sudden and involuntary movements of the leg.

This also helps to avoid the risk of injury during the procedure. The muscles can relax completely during general anesthesia. This is important so that the individual structures in the knee joint can be assessed correctly.Even after general anesthesia, patients can be discharged quite quickly after the procedure.

Here too, an anesthesiologist is responsible for the optimal preparation of the patient for anesthesia. If general anesthesia cannot be given to a patient for health reasons, spinal anesthesia is preferred. This method is preferred for older patients, for example, so that they can recover from the operation more quickly afterwards and the risks of cardiovascular complications are significantly reduced.

In addition, many patients nowadays have a concrete idea of the anesthesia required for knee surgery. Some patients want general anesthesia especially if they are afraid of pain, while others are interested in what is happening during the operation and choose spinal anesthesia in order to be able to follow the operation on the screen or because they are afraid of general anesthesia. Depending on the patient’s state of health, an attempt is made to take the patient’s wishes into account.

Which type of anesthesia is best for the patient is discussed in a preliminary consultation with the anesthesiologist. Cesarean section is performed in women who cannot give birth spontaneously for various reasons, for example if the birth has been going on for too long or because a Cesarean section was requested by the pregnant woman. A caesarean section is also an operation that can be performed under general or epidural anaesthesia.

Both methods are equally safe for the unborn child, but have different effects on the woman. In epidural anaesthesia (PDA), nerve fibres from the spinal cord are anaesthetised, similar to spinal anaesthesia. From the waist down, the pregnant woman then feels no more pain.

In contrast to general anesthesia, the patient can then witness the birth and also hold her child directly in her arms afterwards. Both types of anaesthesia have advantages and disadvantages. Peridual anaesthesia is desired by most women to take away the fear of pain, but at the same time to satisfy the desire to be able to follow the birth while awake.

Although the epidural is considered less stressful, it can also lead to complications such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, which is dangerous for both the mother and the child. Under general anesthesia, the patient is not conscious and is not aware of the birth. The advantage is that general anesthesia can be quickly introduced in emergencies.

However, there is a risk that the patient will vomit during the anaesthesia and vomit will enter the lungs. When a birth is planned, the possibilities and advantages/disadvantages of anesthesia are discussed with the pregnant woman. Whereas in the past, Caesarean sections were only performed under general anaesthesia, most women nowadays opt for an epidural.