Radiation Exposure to the Eye with Mini C-arm Use During Hand Surgery

Introduction: Fluoroscopic radiation exposure is a potential occupational health risk to the Hand Surgeon, given operator proximity and the relative lack of eye shielding. The association of eye radiation exposure and the early development of cataracts have been previously reported. Mini C-arm fluoroscopy is commonly utilized during routine Hand Surgery. At present, the amount of radiation exposure to the eye, associated with the routine use of mini C-arm fluoroscopy, is unknown, thus warranting further investigation. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that eye radiation exposure, sustained during routine mini C-arm use, does not exceed that of previously reported critical radiation dosages to the eye

Trigger Finger Release Performed Wide Awake: Prospective Comparison of Local Anesthetics

Introduction: Trigger fi­nger (TF) is one of the most common conditions treated by hand surgeons with a lifetime risk up to 10% in patients with diabetes. If conservative management fails, surgical treatment is undertaken, with or without sedation and a tourniquet, via a small incision to release the A1 pulley. A number of local anesthetics are readily available including Lidocaine, Ropivacaine and Marcaine as well as encapsulated formulations thereof such as Exparel. Since it’s approval in 2011, there have been numerous reports of successfully achieving prolonged pain relief with locally injected Exparel after various procedures, but to the best of our knowledge there have been no reports of its use in ambulatory hand surgery. In this study we prospectively evaluated the efficacy of Lidocaine, Marcaine, or bupivacaine with post-operative Exparel in controlling pain, opioid usage, and adverse reactions following TF surgery