Impact of WALANT Hand Surgery in a Secondary Care Hospital in Spain. Benefits to the Patient and the Health System

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare patient benefits and economic costs of hand surgeries using the wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technique versus a conventional major outpatient suite and review outcomes and complications in a series of cases of patients operated on using the WALANT technique. Methods: A prospective cohort study was first conducted comparing 150 cases of ambulatory hand surgery (carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger) using the WALANT technique and not requiring an operating room setting with 150 cases of outpatient surgery performed in an operating room involving a preoperative evaluation and the use of sedation and tourniquet. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative pain was monitored, and days requiring postoperative analgesia were recorded. The resources and costs were evaluated. and patient satisfaction was assessed using a specific survey. Subsequently, 580 patient medical records were retrospectively reviewed, including 419 carpal tunnel syndrome and 197 trigger finger interventions (616 WALANT surgeries). Results: Intraoperative pain was equivalent for both groups, and postoperative pain was significantly lower in the WALANT group, with a reduced need for analgesics. Satisfaction was greater for the local anesthesia group. The use of personnel resources and hospital materials was reduced in the WALANT group, with a total estimated cost savings of 1.019 USD per patient. There were no complications related to the WALANT technique and the lidocaine and adrenaline combination. We found a complication rate of 5.58%, and, in line with the literature, most complications were minor, managed conservatively, and not related to the anesthetic technique. Conclusions: Procedures such as carpal tunnel and trigger finger surgeries can be safely performed using wide-awake surgery. Patient satisfaction is higher than with the conventional procedure performed in the operating room. Pain control is excellent, especially during the postoperative period. Clinical relevance: Hand surgery patients benefit from the WALANT technique in terms of comfort and timeliness because there is no need for preoperative tests or evaluations. In addition, it represents significant savings in hospital resources. In our case series, complications were in line with those previously reported with other anesthetic techniques.