Femoral and sciatic nerve block with 0.25% bupivacaine for surgical management of diabetic foot syndrome: an anesthetic technique for high-risk patients with diabetic nephropathy.

A case series of patients with diabetic nephropathy, who underwent lower limb debridement or amputation below the knee during successful combined sciatic and femoral nerve block with bupivacaine 0.25%, is presented. Because impaired nerve conduction in diabetes mellitus results in lower local anesthetic agent requirement, a dose-sparing, minimal effective concentration for surgical anesthesia for peripheral nerve blockade may be more favorable for patients with diabetes and chronic renal disease. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.