SUMMARY

It is possible to perform all surgical procedures while the patient is under general anesthesia, but the addition of peripheral nerve block techniques to the anesthesiologist's armamentarium adds flexibility and skills that benefit the patient intraoperatively and postoperatively. Successfully mastering these techniques and applying them to the appropriate clinical situations add valuable options to the anesthetic care. For the anesthesiologist, knowledge of regional anesthesia is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic pain syndromes (see Chapter 72 and Chapter 73 ).