Percutaneous Achilles tenotomy under local anaesthetic in the clubfoot clinic was safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, for both children and parents

PURPOSE: An Achilles tenotomy is routinely required to correct the equinus deformity in Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) patients as part of the gold standard treatment using the Ponseti method. This procedure can be performed in clinic under local anaesthetic or in theatre under general anaesthetic. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced theatre capacity and caused a delay to CTEV patients’ treatment. A new standard operating procedure that allowed the tenotomies to be performed under local anaesthetic in the clinic was introduced. This study was looking into the safety, feasibility and parents’ perspective of this procedure. METHODS: The study was prospectively registered as a service improvement project and followed the SQUIRE guidelines (Ogrinc et al. in BMJ Qual Saf 25:986–992, 2016). All consecutive patients requiring a tenotomy were included. Data was collected prospectively including demographics, Pirani score and a carers’ satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Twenty five patients (36 tenotomies) were included in the study. The median age was 9 weeks. All patients achieved ankle dorsiflexion of greater than 15° post-op. None of the patients nor their parents contracted the COVID 19 virus. All parents reported a positive experience and 99% felt less anxious about having the tenotomy done in clinic rather than theatre. CONCLUSIONS: The new service offering clinic tenotomies was found to be safe and clinically successful. This study is the first to show parents preference and excellent satisfaction with a tenotomy performed under local anaesthetic. The service has improved the allocation of resources and due to its success, will continue beyond the pandemic. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00264-021-05119-w.