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London Urology Online

email us Penile Local Anaesthesia Over the past few years I have moved away from doing most penile surgery under general anaesthesia (asleep) to using a local anaesthetic (numbing the penis). In general terms I give patients the option as to which they prefer. As it is not standard to do operations such as circumcisions and Peyronie's disease surgery under local anaesthesia in the UK I have given a few commonly asked questions and their answers below. Why a local anaesthetic? This avoids the sedation of a general anaesthesia and means there is no hangover. Both forms of anaesthesia are very safe with a major complication risk of one in thousands. I prefer local anaesthesia since once the anaesthetic is given one can be sure of pain relief in the hours following the operation, thus ensuring a comfortable return home for most men. How is the anaesthetic given? Three injections are applied to the base of the penis about twenty minutes before the surgery, using a mixture of short and long acting local anaesthetic. the penis usually stays numb for four to eight hours. For very small procedures such as frenuloplasty and biopsy a single small injection to the area may suffice Will I have to watch the operation? No. It is possible to see what is going on if you wish, but most men prefer to have a screen put between them and the operation so they do not see any of the procedure. What have other men thought of the anaesthetic? I have now carried out over two hundred procedures on the penis under local anaesthetic and only one man has said that he would have preferred a general anaesthetic. Can I drive home afterwards? No. The anaesthetic dose can be quite high and you should not drive or operate heavy machinery for twenty four hours (it is pretty unlikely you would be planning to do this). I advise that a responsible adult stays with you overnight after the surgery in case of any delayed reaction to the anaesthesia. Is there a choice? Yes of course. Unless there are specific medical reasons to the contrary I am happy to arrange a general anaesthetic for any surgery. [Practice details][Research News][Publications][Information][Links][Referrals] Copyright (c) 1999-2001 GH Muir. All rights reserved. [email protected]

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Penile Local Anaesthesia

Over the past few years I have moved away from doing most penile surgery under general anaesthesia (asleep) to using a local anaesthetic (numbing the penis). In general terms I give patients the option as to which they prefer.

As it is not standard to do operations such as circumcisions and Peyronie's disease surgery under local anaesthesia in the UK I have given a few commonly asked questions and their answers below.

Why a local anaesthetic?

This avoids the sedation of a general anaesthesia and means there is no hangover. Both forms of anaesthesia are very safe with a major complication risk of one in thousands.

I prefer local anaesthesia since once the anaesthetic is given one can be sure of pain relief in the hours following the operation, thus ensuring a comfortable return home for most men.

How is the anaesthetic given?

Three injections are applied to the base of the penis about twenty minutes before the surgery, using a mixture of short and long acting local anaesthetic. the penis usually stays numb for four to eight hours.

For very small procedures such as frenuloplasty and biopsy a single small injection to the area may suffice

Will I have to watch the operation?

No. It is possible to see what is going on if you wish, but most men prefer to have a screen put between them and the operation so they do not see any of the procedure.

What have other men thought of the anaesthetic?

I have now carried out over two hundred procedures on the penis under local anaesthetic and only one man has said that he would have preferred a general anaesthetic.

Can I drive home afterwards?

No. The anaesthetic dose can be quite high and you should not drive or operate heavy machinery for twenty four hours (it is pretty unlikely you would be planning to do this). I advise that a responsible adult stays with you overnight after the surgery in case of any delayed reaction to the anaesthesia.

Is there a choice?

Yes of course. Unless there are specific medical reasons to the contrary I am happy to arrange a general anaesthetic for any surgery.