Arthroscopic Surgery of the Knee Through Ambulatory Care Unit Under General Anesthesia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Though many patients who visit ambulatory care unit are performed arthroscopic surgery under local anesthesia, it is difficult to do it in some patients. By selecting the anesthetic agents, educating the patients preoperatively and controlling the pain carefully, we gained the good results in arthroscopic surgery of knee through ambulatory care unit under general anesthesia without complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 1998 to December 1999, arthroscapic surgery of the knee(menis-cectomy, synovectomy, debridement, loose body removal, bursa excision) was carried out under general anesthesia in 91 patients through ambulatory care unit. The anesthetic agents used in operation were propofol(52 cases) and ethrane(39 cases), 10cc of 0,25% bupivacaine with 1% lidocaine was injected in1o knee joint after arthroscopic surgery for pain control. RESULTS: The pain scores were improved from 12.5 points to 14.7 points at rest, from 9.5 points to 13 point at walking. Postoperatively, there were nausea(2 cases), chest pain(1 case), elevated blood pressure(2 case), redness(3 cases), pain(18 cases), effusion(27 cases). But these symptoms were improved without other complications. CONCLUSION: It is considered one of the comfortable, safe end reliable methods to perform arthroscopic surgery of knee through ambulatory care unit under general anesthesia.