[Combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block in the emergency surgery for pertrochanteric fracture: an alternative technique in patients at high risk of anaesthetic complications].

Introduction: emergency surgery for pertrochanteric femoral fractures (PFF) in patients at high risk of anaesthetic complications is a real challenge for surgeons due to the increased intraoperative risk. We report our experience with combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block as an alternative anesthetic technique for these fractures.

Methods: we conducted a three-year descriptive, single-center, cross-sectional study including patients with a history of recent pertrochanteric femoral fractures (PFF) at high risk anaesthetic complications. Combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block was performed using the common neurostimulation technique. A mixture of 20ml of lidocaine 2% and bupivacaine 0.5% (50/50) was injected into each block. The primary endpoint was the effectiveness of lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block assessed through the rates from anesthesia-related failures defined as need for conversion into general anaesthesia (GA). The secondary endpoints were: 1) anesthetic technique, 2) intraoperative hemodynamic, respiratory and neurological impairment, and 3) outcomes and potential postoperative complications.

Results: the study included 30 patients. The average age of patients was 74 ± 10 years. The average admission time in the Department of Emergency Surgery was 12(5-36) hours. The average duration of the procedure was 15.20 ± 3.45 minutes. No conversion into GA was necessary. There were no statistically significant differences between the various recorded intraoperative hemodynamic and respiratory parameters (MAP, HR, SpO2) (p > 0,05). Surgical procedure duration was 46 ± 5 minutes. Surgical satisfaction was 9.7 ± 0.1. The first post-operative analgesic treatment was started after 8(1-24) hours. All patients had complete sensorimotor recovery.

Conclusion: combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block is an anesthetic alternative for urgent PFF surgery in patients at high risk of anaesthetic complications: reduced operative delays, anesthetic efficiency, hemodynamic and intraoperative respiratory stability, absence of complications due to other anesthetic techniques, rapid admission to recovery room, and good postoperative analgesia.