Femoral and genitofemoral nerve blocks versus spinal anesthesia for outpatients undergoing long saphenous vein stripping surgery

Long saphenous vein stripping (LSVS) surgery is often used to treat varicose veins. We tested the hypothesis that femoral nerve block (FNB) with genitofemoral nerve infiltration provides sufficient analgesia and superior recovery characteristics to spinal anesthesia for LSVS procedures in the ambulatory setting. Thirty-six patients were randomized to receive FNB with 30 mL of 3% alkalinized chloroprocaine, and 32 patients received spinal anesthesia with 65 mg of 5%, hyperbaric lidocaine. Data collected included patient demographics, time required for induction of and recovery from anesthesia, postoperative anesthesia complications, and patient report of pain severity after the operation. During a follow-up call, a blinded observer noted the onset of any complications, the requirement for analgesics, and the patients' satisfaction with the anesthetic technique. Patients in the FNB group had significantly faster recovery (P < 0.01) and lower incidences of pain (P < 0.05) and complications (P < 0.05) than the patients in the spinal group. All patients who received FNB indicated that they would choose this type of anesthesia in the future, whereas five (15%) patients in the spinal group would refuse spinal anesthesia in the future (P < 0.01). We conclude that FNB is an excellent anesthetic choice for LSVS.