Practice in Wide-Awake Hand Surgery: Differences Between United Kingdom and Cyprus.

ABSTRACT

The implementation of the wide-awake local anesthetic no tourniquet (WALANT) approach to surgical procedures in Cyprus has led to significant cost savings. In the United Kingdom, the implementation of WALANT has led to shorter waiting times for hand surgical procedures, cost savings for the National Health Service, and high patient satisfaction rates. In both countries, patient education is a prerequisite for WALANT surgery. It increases the satisfaction rate among patients and enhances the patient-surgeon relationship. Patients need to know they can participate actively in a procedure, because a patient moving the hand during a procedure can improve the outcome.