Due To Have Foot Surgery. Tendon Over The Big Toe. Could The Injection Sites Be Numb?

Posted on Wed, 16 Oct 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 16 Oct 2013 Answered on

Thu, 7 Nov 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I am going to having foot surgery soon because I severed a tendon over the big toe and will also put in two pins for support. Can I get a block instead of general or sedation? I hate the way I feel sedated. I understand there are five injections. Can the injection sites be numbed? I don't care if I hear different sounds like a drill or what. The doctor said that the procedure would only take 20 minutes. Thank you for your time.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (14 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No general anesthesia is necessary.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

Yes, you can have a block. Generally such procedures are performed in spinal anesthesia (so called Subarachnoid Spinal Block). This gives an ability to deaden one leg (or both) only. This is a standard procedure and no general anesthesia is necessary. For your comfort some sedatives can be injected as an addition to spinal block. You will be sleeping, but the breathing wont be disturbed.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (57 minutes later)

Hello, How would the doctor numb one leg? I tried finding more info on this but, I may not be using the right words. Thanks again

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (16 hours later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below

Detailed Answer:
Well, there is an injection in the spine made when you lie on the one side. This causes that the gravity holds injected medicine on the one side.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar