Tumescent local anesthesia as an alternative to general anesthesia in release of post-burn neck contracture and skin graft harvesting: A comparative study

Background: Anesthetic management of severe post burn neck contracture is difficult, demanding due to fixed flexion deformity of neck, incomplete oral occlusion and insufficient mouth opening leading to difficulty in intubation. Patients undergoing contracture release, skin graft harvest under general anesthesia (GA) were compared with patients undergoing the same surgery under tumescent local anesthesia (TLA) technique. Methodology: Twenty-one patients with post burn neck contracture undergoing contracture release with split skin grafting under GA were compared with twenty-one patients undergoing the same surgery under TLA. Post-operative pain and satisfaction were assessed using 10 cm VAS (Visual Analogue Scale). Results: Demographic profile was comparable in both groups. Changes in intra-operative vital parameters remained insignificant. The average volume of tumescent solution used was 254.76 + 49.05m1. Blood loss was significantly decreased, postoperative pain relief was more than sixteen hours in thirteen patients and extended beyond twenty-four hours in six patients in the TLA group. Time for the first rescue analgesia was significantly lesser in the GA group and the average dose of injection tramadol used in the GA group was significantly higher within the first 24 h. Overall satisfaction in the TLA group was significantly higher than in the GA group. Conclusion: TLA can be used as sole technique for release of post burn neck contracture and harvest of split skin grafts with less blood loss and significantly better postoperative pain relief avoiding complications of general anesthesia.