Many lower extremity surgeries can be performed with regional anesthesia, where one or more nerves are numbed up at the beginning of the procedure. There are many benefits to regional anesthesia:
- Since the numbing lasts for many hours after surgery, there usually is much less pain
- Less sedation or general anesthesia is needed, and this often means less post-op anesthesia side effects, such as nausea
- Faster recovery
Most lower extremity surgeries can now be performed outpatient, so overnight stays in the hospital are usually not needed