WALANT Versus Axillary Brachial Plexus Block in Carpal Tunnel Release
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2025-11-13
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common medical condition that remains one of the most
frequently reported forms of median nerve compression. Surgical procedure is a treatment
option for CTS. For this surgery of the upper extremity, regional anesthesia (RA) is the
strategy that should be systematically preferred because it is associated with shorter
postanesthetic care and less pain compared to general anesthesia. Multiple approaches to
block the brachial plexus are available for the surgery of the upper extremity below the
elbow, but the axillary block (BAX) remains the most common approach as it is associated with
low side effects.
One of the most significant recent advances in the surgery of the upper extremity has been
the emergence of Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique. WALANT is an
infiltration technique of a local anesthetic (LA) (lidocaine) and a hemostatic agent
(epinephrine) directly into the operative site to induce anesthesia and hemostasis in the
area of the surgical procedure to provide conditions suitable for hand surgery without
sedation and tourniquet. Given its effectiveness and low side effects, WALANT could be a
technique of choice in ambulatory surgery.
The main objective of this non-inferiority, prospective, randomized, open-label,
parallel-group controlled trial is to assess the efficacy of WALANT technique compared to BAX
in carpal tunnel release (CTR).