Spinal Superselective Anaesthesia for the Surgical Correction of Varicocele

Abstract

Taking advantage of previous anaesthesiological experience in short-medium-term surgery, the Authors employed spinal superselective anaesthesia (SSA) for varicocelectomy. SSA consists of an intrathecal block limited to the surgical field, using small doses of local anaesthetic and a special sharp spinal needle with an atraumatic point. Common problems of spinal anaesthesia (haemodynamic instability, generalized motor block, slow recovery of walking and micturition) and post-spinal headache are thus reduced. On 30 patients, SSA confirmed its validity: excellent analgesia and surgical myoresolution, limited extension of sympathetic block and near absence of contralateral motor block, quick recovery of walking and micturition. Considering the total absence of side effects, SSA seems an ideal technique for this type of surgery, which can also be performed on an outpatient basis.