Wide-Awake Hand Surgery Experience in Patients 10 to 18 Years of Age

PURPOSE: We investigated the frequency of wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) use for hand surgery in the a 10- to 18-year–old age group and patients’ experiences. METHODS: Patients aged 10–18 years who had hand surgery in June 2016 to March 2020 were identified. The frequency of patients who agreed to have surgery under WALANT was calculated (%). Patients who received WALANT over the previous year were interviewed for their surgical experiences. RESULTS: A total of 69 patients were identified, and 46 of them received WALANT. The mean age was 14.5 ± 2 years, and 22 of them were boys. Sixteen patients were called for a surgical experience assessment via questionnaire. They reported pain less than 1/10 during anesthesia injection and surgery. Ten patients (62%) found their operation easy, and 14 (87.5%) would prefer WALANT again. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that most patients in the 10–18 years age group accepted WALANT, and their surgical experiences were positive. For its advantages, WALANT should be considered in hand surgery for compliant patients in this age group. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic III.