WALANT Surgery for Bone and Soft Tissue Disorders

The use of wide-awake local anesthesia, no tourniquet (WALANT) has been adapted by most hand surgeons. This is especially true for centers with a large volume of patients needing specialized care for the hand. The use of WALANT has enabled surgeons to do procedures on an outpatient basis, thus potentially creating cost-saving measures for patients and health care facilities. The WALANT procedures are commonly used in outpatient surgeries like carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, and de Quervain tenosynovitis, as well as excision of benign tumors. WALANT procedures have been applied in open reduction internal fixation of hand fractures, acute tendon repairs, tendon transfers, tendon grafting and some soft tissue reconstructions. The future of WALANT surgery is still evolving. The use of WALANT has focused on patient safety, acceptable cost, and improved outcomes. In this presentation, we will show common procedures where the WALANT technique was used in hand and upper extremity surgery.