Background
Local anaesthetic is commonly used in plastic surgery. Minimising the pain and optimising clinical efficacy of local anaesthetic delivery for cutaneous surgery is beneficial to both patients and surgeons.
Methods
Literature review considering summary articles, clinical trials and basic science models pertaining to local anaesthesia in cutaneous surgery including analysis of evidence provided.
Results
Evidence and guidelines supporting techniques to reduce the pain of local anaesthetic infiltration include buffering agents, the technique of infiltration, patient distraction and the use of field blocks. A comprehensive summary will be provided with relevant clinical case study demonstrations.
Conclusions
This review can act as an evidence-based practical guide supporting effective local anaesthetic delivery in cutaneous plastic surgery. These described techniques are easy to adopt and utilise, and will help to provide a more comfortable experience for both patients and surgeons.