How is the nerve block done?
Commonly the nerve blocks are done under general anesthesia especially in younger children. Since the nerves lie deep under the skin, a needle is used to get the medications where it needs to go. We use either ultrasound guidance or a special nerve stimulator to help us find the nerve. If the best thing to do is a one-time injection of medicine, the injection may be done at the end of surgery, so the numbness lasts for the longest amount of time after surgery. If a surgery is one where a catheter (a thin length of tubing that can carry medicine) is a good idea, then a special needle will be used that allows us to insert the catheter next to the nerve. The catheter is carefully secured to the skin, and can remain in place for up to 3 days, with a pump instilling small amounts of medicine near the nerve the whole time.
