Managing Acute Pain with Nerve Blocks: A Guide for Patients

The purpose of this booklet is to provide patients with information about regional anesthesia. Designed to answer a patient’s most likely questions, its secondary purpose is to allow more informed dialogs between patients, surgeons and anesthesiologists. With the advent of increased outpatient surgery, peformed in minimally invasive manner, the need for large doses of potent and potentially dangerous drugs is drawing to a close. Many surgeons and anesthesiologists are relying on single-injection and continuous nerve blocks to manage surgical and other acute pain. In this volume, the reader can search for a type of surgery from the color-coded Table of Contents and read about the nerve blocks likely to be offered during the procedure and for postoperative pain. Patients are encouraged to discuss these regional anesthesia procedures with their health care providers. All the blocks described in this booklet can be viewed on www.RAEducation.com, which is free for patients.