Perioperative Pain Management for Upper Extremity Surgery.

Upper extremity surgeons are currently faced with a daunting array of anesthesia techniques, ranging from traditional general anesthesia to wide-awake surgery, during which patients can watch their surgeons operate in the morning and return to work as soon as that afternoon. This range of options means that surgeons must consider patient-related factors such as disease process and relevant comorbidities, as well as surgery-related factors such as anatomic location, complexity, length of procedure, and postoperative pain expectations. In general, the least invasive technique is favored, but each patient must be considered individually to ensure the best anesthesia choice.