Wide-awake local anesthesia for clavicle fracture fixation: A case report

INTRODUCTION: The wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technique has been used in many orthopedic surgeries. The benefits of this technique are the avoidance of the adverse effects of general anesthesia (GA) and the overall reduction of the cost of surgery. However, a literature search revealed no published report on performing the WALANT technique for clavicular fracture surgery. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of mid-shaft clavicular fracture that was treated with plate osteosynthesis using the WALANT technique in a patient with uncontrolled atrial fibrillation. During the operation, the patient did not experience any pain, and the procedure could be performed easily due to minimal bleeding in the operative field. The operation was completed successfully without any complications, and the patient was discharged from the hospital the day after surgery. Follow-up radiographs after three months showed union of the clavicle at the fracture site, and the patient could use his arm normally. DISCUSSION: Clavicular fracture is routinely treated with plate osteosynthesis under general anesthesia. In some patients with high morbidity and other risk factors for whom GA is unsuitable, the WALANT technique can prove to be an effective alternative. CONCLUSION: Clavicular fixation can be performed successfully and without any complication under WALANT technique.