Making it work: setting up a regional anesthesia program that provides value.

Regional anesthesia offers many benefits for the patient, surgery center, anesthesiology practice, and hospital. Unfortunately, there are no evidence-based guidelines to follow when starting a new service aimed at providing peripheral nerve blocks. A regional anesthesia program adds value by improving the quality of postoperative analgesia and recovery after surgery. Specialized training in regional anesthesia is necessary when using advanced techniques, such as ultrasound guidance and continuous peripheral nerve blockade. A regional anesthesia service may shorten postanesthesia recovery time in ambulatory surgery and duration of hospital admission for some surgeries. A successful regional anesthesia service promotes effective communication among all members of the perioperative team.