Each patient received bilateral infraclavicular blocks using a 20 ml mixture of lignocaine, adrenaline (1:200,000) and sodium bicarbonate on each side.
Preliminary evaluation of infraclavicular catheters inserted using ultrasound guidance: through-the-catheter anesthesia is not inferior to through-the-needle blocks.
By this aim for upper limb surgery interscalene blocks are ideally suited for shoulder and upper arm surgery, supraclavicular nerve blocks for upper arm, elbow and radial side of forearm and the infraclavicular and axillary block are suited for hand, wrist and forearm surgery.
If ultrasound tools are unavailable, then the infraclavicular approach should be considered, because the latter poses less risk of a pneumothorax (Table 1).
Seven of these recurrences were located in the retained native skin envelope or surgical scar with one subcutaneous recurrence in the infraclavicular area.