A prospective comparison of WALANT technique and general anesthesia in forefoot surgery

Introduction

Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique has been widely used in hand surgery, but there are few prospective data on its use in forefoot surgery.

Hypothesis

The WALANT technique reduces pain compared to general anesthesia for bone surgery on the first ray of forefoot.

Methods

This was a prospective, longitudinal, comparative, non-randomized cohort study in adult patients undergoing bone surgery on the first ray of forefoot. The primary objective was the level of pain (0–10 visual analogic scale) 4 h after the procedure with WALANT technique versus general anesthesia supplemented by ropivacaine infiltration.

Results

A total 37 patients were analyzed in the WALANT group and 24 in the general anesthesia group (women, 90.2%; mean age, 51.3 years; hallux valgus, 85.2%; first metatarsal osteotomy, 80.3%). After generalized linear regression adjusted on a priori defined factors, there was no statistically difference for pain ≤3 at 4 h in WALANT vs. general anesthesia (odds-ratio 1.66; 95% CI, 0.17–20.49; p = 0.2548). At 24 h, pain level was also comparable in the two groups. Time spent in operating room was significantly shorter with WALANT (40.8 vs. 49.7 min; p = 0.0001). Mean length of stay in the recovery room was also significantly shorter with WALANT (4.4 vs. 75.6 min; p < 0.0001). Anxiety before/after surgery, uptake of analgesic/anti-inflammatory drugs and quality of life were comparable in the two anesthesia groups.

Conclusion

Postoperative pain with WALANT technique or general anesthesia was comparable. Time spent in the operating room and in recovery room was significantly shorter with WALANT technique.

Level of evidence

III; prospective non-randomized comparative study.