REGIONAL ANESTHESIA FOR OUTPATIENT NASAL SURGERY

Regional anaesthesia is not used widely for outpatient nasal surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the role of nasociliary and inf raorbital nerve block in 24 patients undergoing nasal surgery comprisi ng: cosmetic or reconstructive surgery of the nose and surrounding sof t tissue, polypal removal, turbinectomy, reduction of fractured nasal bones, small tumour resection or emergency surgery on isolated facial lacerations. Mild sedation with midazolam 0.03 mg kg(-1) was used befo re anaesthesia. Nasociliary and infraorbital blocks were technically e asy to perform, safe and provided good intraoperative conditions. Only minor complications were observed, including local bruising in eight patients and transient diplopia in one patient. No patient received ge neral anaesthesia, but infiltration of local anaesthetic was necessary in four patients because of incomplete anaesthesia in the surgical ar ea. Operative conditions were judged as good or excellent by surgeons in 20 of 24 patients. Twenty of 24 patients were very satisfied or sat isfied with anaesthesia. Duration of surgery exceeding 60 min and exce ssive bleeding in the nasopharynx were the main limiting factors for t he use of facial regional anaesthesia.