Anaesthetic Choices for Hip or Knee Replacement

This guide is written by the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Used here with permission.

Introduction

You are going to have a hip or knee replacement soon. You may have heard that there are several different types of anaesthetic:

• a general anaesthetic
• a spinal anaesthetic
• an epidural anaesthetic
• a nerve block (to help with pain afterwards)
• a combination of anaesthetics.

Your anaesthetist will explain which anaesthetic methods are suitable for you, and help you decide which you would prefer. more....