Surgeon-Administered Caudal Anesthesia Under Ultrasound Guidance for Anorectal Surgery: A Valuable Option in Limited Resource Countries

Excerpt

In patients with anorectal pathology requiring surgery, anesthesia can be achieved using general or regional techniques. Caudal anesthesia (CA) has been well-described in this setting.^1‐3 CA can provide effective postoperative analgesia reducing postoperative analgesia requirements. It is associated with decreased postoperative nausea and vomiting and can avoid the hypotension seen in spinal anesthesia, the other common regional anesthesia.¹ Although in well-resourced healthcare settings, an anesthesiologist is responsible for administering general and regional anesthesia, in countries with limited resources and/or where there is a shortage of anesthesia personnel, this is not often feasible. We describe initial results of surgeon-based CA administered under ultrasound guidance for a variety of anorectal conditions. …