In ‘awake’ surgeries, surgeons must watch what they say
The surgeons talked about many surgical procedures, ranging from biopsies to abortions to cataract surgery. A growing number of surgeries performed with only local anesthesia create new challenges for surgeons, according to interviews with U.S. doctors. Surgeries using new local anesthestics that numb an area of the body but leave patients awake, tend to have a shorter recovery time, but can also cause distress and anxiety for patients, researchers write in the American Journal of Surgery. These “awake surgeries” also raise new issues for surgeons, who must balance the needs…
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