Fascia Iliaca Block
A way to subdue surgical pain without the use of opiods!
What is a Fascia Iliaca Block?
A Fascia Iliaca Block is performed to block pain signals from traveling along the femoral nerve from the thigh or knee to the brain. It is commonly used to alleviate pain that can appear after certain leg surgeries such as total knee replacement or hip replacement. Many studies have shown a decrease in mortality rates and complications when Physicians perform regional anesthesia. Specifically for hip fractures, fascia iliaca blocks led to a reduction of postoperative complications from 33% to 20% along with decreased mortality, altered mental status, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary complications. The goal of this nerve block is to maximize analgesia, while minimizing side effects such as delirium, hypotension, respiratory depression, and nausea/vomiting that may be associated with IV opioid administration.
How is it performed?
A Fascia Iliaca Block is done under ultrasound. At AOA Orthopedic Specialists will use the ultrasound as a guide to find the fascia iliaca. Once located, the specialist will inject the anesthetic under the fascia iliaca, causing a medial-lateral spread of anesthetic. This in turn will cause the pain to be blocked for a period of time without the use of opiods.
At Baylor Orthopedic Spine Hospital at Arlington, our providers constantly stay up to date with cutting edge medicine!
