Fantastic news this week that our research into the practice of wide-awake hand surgery, between the United Kingdom and Cyprus has been accepted for publication in the prestigious journal of “Hand Clinics”. Wide-awake hand surgery has exciting potentials for patients to undergo surgery without the pain of using the tourniquet and without the need for a general anaesthetic. Procedures such as carpal tunnel decompression and trigger finger have, for a long time now, been done under local anaesthetic. However, with wide-awake hand surgery techniques, other procedures, such as those for Dupuytren’s contracture and ganglions as well as tendon repairs, are being increasingly performed under local anaesthetic without the need for a tourniquet. Advantages include a faster recovery after the initial operation from anaesthetic. Other advantages include, better compliance with rehabilitation and being able to reassure our patients through the procedure, that everything has gone just fine.
