Evaluation of the pain in varicose vein surgery under tumescent local anaesthesia using sodium bicarbonate as excipient without any intravenous sedation.

OBJECTIVE In order to simplify varicose vein surgery, we studied the possibility of tumescent local anaesthesia (TLA) using sodium bicarbonate 1.4% as excipient without any intravenous sedation. METHODS For three months, 215 patients were included in two centres for ambulatory varicose vein surgery performed without any intravenous sedation. Clinical results and pain were evaluated according to the type and duration of surgery. RESULTS Mean perioperative pain was evaluated at 2.7 on a visual scale (0-10). In 91% of the cases, surgery was deemed to be slightly painful. Preoperative pain was not linked to the technical means of surgery but to the psychological and organizational environment of the centre. CONCLUSIONS In many of the cases, varicose vein surgery could be performed under TLA without any intravenous sedation. Ambulatory varicose vein surgery without any intravenous sedation could be highly cost-effective.