Percutaneous achillotomy in the treatment of congenital clubfoot: should it be performed in the operating theater or the polyclinic?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, advantages, and complications of percutaneous achillotomy in the treatment of clubfoot with the Ponseti method when performed to two different groups under general anesthesia or polyclinic conditions with local anesthesia. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was made of 96 patients treated for clubfoot in our clinic between January 2013 and June 2016. Fifty-seven patients were separated into two groups according to whether the achillotomy was performed in polyclinic conditions with local anesthesia or under general anesthesia following serial plaster casting with the Ponseti method. RESULTS: The characteristics of age distribution, mean week of tenotomy, side, and sex were similar in both groups. No statistically significant difference was determined between the two groups in respect to complication and recurrence. The durations of hospitalization-observation, separation from the mother, and fasting were found to be statistically significantly shorter in local anesthesia group. CONCLUSION: Although the performance of percutaneous achillotomy with local or general anesthesia has different advantages, it can be considered that especially in centers with high patient circulation, achillotomy with local anesthesia can be more preferable to general anesthesia because it is practical and quick, does not require a long period of fasting or hospitalization, and has a similar complication rate to general anesthesia procedures.