Local anaesthetic

Local anaesthetic block (dorsal root ganglion) (local anaesthetic)

Please be aware that the following prices are a guide price. Your final price will be confirmed in writing following your consultation and any necessary diagnostic tests.

Local anaesthetic block (major nerve trunk)

Please be aware that the following prices are a guide price. Your final price will be confirmed in writing following your consultation and any necessary diagnostic tests.

Removal of lump on nerve (local anaesthetic)

Please be aware that the following prices are a guide price. Your final price will be confirmed in writing following your consultation and any necessary diagnostic tests.

• Wound suture (switching wounds)
• Dental procedures
• Removing an ingrown toenail
• Bunion removal
• Trigger finger release surgery
• Preparing for a biopsy (numbing your skin to take a sample)
• Eye surgery
• Some arthroscopic injuries (keyhole surgery)
• Epidural anaesthetic (numbs your back, often used for pain relief in childbirth)
• Surgery involving blood vessels in your legs
• Hernia surgery
• Haemorrhoid surgery
• Prostate, bladder, or genital surgery
• Caesarean sections

Sometimes, local anaesthetic may be used for certain types of brain surgery, during which it's important for you to be awake so that you can communicate with your surgeon.

Before your local anaesthetic

You will be taken to one of our hospital operating theatres, at which point your anaesthetist will explain how everything works. If they are going to provide an injection for the local anaesthetic, your anaesthetist may place a drip in your hand that is attached to a monitor, allowing staff to keep an eye on your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels, although this isn't always necessary.

During your local anaesthetic

The site of your injection will be cleaned with anti-septic, after which an injection can then be made into the soft tissues around your affected area with a thin needle. During this injection, you will need to remain very still, and you shouldn't feel any discomfort. Some local anaesthetic injections work almost immediately, while others take around 30 minutes.

Once the local anaesthetic has taken effect, your surgeon may also give you a minor sedative to keep you relaxed, at which point they will be able to start the surgical procedure. Once the local anaesthetic has taken affect, you won't feel anything in the area at all, nor will you be able to see the surgery taking place.

After local anaesthetic

The numbness around your affected area lasts for around four to six hours, although this can be more or less, depending on the kind of anaesthetic that was used. You may find that you experience a burning and/or tingling sensation as the local anaesthetic wears off.

Due to the way adrenaline is often contained within a local anaesthetic, your blood vessel size may have reduced, meaning that your skin looks lighter in colour. It could be that you have some bleeding around your dressing, but this is normal. Take care to not aggravate this area at all after the surgery.

The type of local anaesthetic that is used for your surgery depends on the severity of your procedure and the location of your affected area. There are three main kinds of local anaesthetics that your surgeon might use, which include:

Nerve blocks

A nerve block, or a peripheral nerve block, is a local anaesthetic injection that numbs the nerves supplying a particular part of your body. This is particularly useful when operating on an area such as your hand or toe. Often, using nerve blocks means general anaesthetic isn't used, although your surgeon may also use a sedative to make sure you're relaxed during the treatment. The injection is made near the relevant nerves, and can be used for treatments like spinal surgery or caesarean sections.

Epidural and spinal anaesthetics

An epidural is a local anaesthetic injected through a tube into your epidural space, which is an area of your lower back next to your spine, while a spinal injection is a single injection into a similar space in the back. Both injections create a numbness from around your bellybutton to your upper legs, and are often used to ease pain levels during childbirth or when a caesarean section is required. By numbing large areas of your body, it prevents pain signals from travelling along the nerves in your spine, making it a highly effective form of pain relief.

To administer an epidural, your back will be cleaned with cold fluid and your skin will be numbed with a local anaesthetic, which may sting for a few seconds. A needle will then be passed through the space between your bones to find the space for your surrounding spinal cord, which is then sedated. Please be careful to stay perfectly still while this is happening.

Local application (topical anaesthetic)

Your consultant and/or surgeon may also use a local application anaesthetic (or topical anaesthetic), which can be applied directly to your skin or in the inside of your mouth, throat, or nose, as well as the surface of your eye. These topical anaesthetics can be:

• Liquids
• Creams
• Gels
• Patches
• Sprays

It is possible that these topical anaesthetics may be used alongside local anaesthetic injections for various treatments, including:

• Anything involving a needle poke
• Applying and/or removing stitches
• Inserting an IV (intravenous therapy, where fluids are injected into your veins)
• Inserting a catheter (soft hollow tube inserted into your body to drain and/or monitor fluids)
• Laser treatments
• Cataract surgery
• Endoscopy (a test to look inside your body)

Your consultant may recommend a series of over-the-counter topical anaesthetics to help you manage pain from issues like:

• Dental issues
• Open wounds
• Sore throat
• Burns
• Rashes
• Bug bites
• Haemorrhoids

Safer than general anaesthetic

Local anaesthetic has fewer risks and disadvantages compared with general anaesthetic. Following general anaesthesia, you might have a sore throat if a tube was inserted in your throat, along with potentially being fatigued and/or nauseated, while this is much less likely to be the case with local anaesthetic. There is a reduced chance of bleeding and/or vomiting after local anaesthetic. General anaesthetic may also cause more complications with your heart and breathing - especially if you are a smoker.

Faster recovery time

Due to the fact that fewer drugs are needed, and less preparation is required, recovery from local anaesthesia is usually must faster. Most surgical treatments delivered are not as invasive and present fewer risks to your body; you'll feel much more 'in control' after local anaesthesia. You will most likely be able to go home on the same day as your treatment, and you should be able to return to normal eating, walking, and work faster - depending on the type of job you do - than if your surgery was done under general anaesthetic.

Rest and ice

Your local anaesthetic may last for quite a bit longer than your operation - in some cases 8 hours - so be careful to avoid any movements that could aggravate the injury. There are some movements that you'll be able to do (lifting your arm, bending your finger, etc.) that may seem pain-free due to the local anaesthetic that may end up making the situation worse and causing damage to any stitches, which will be removed a few days after your surgery at one of our clinics.

If you don't properly rest the area during this initial period, you may experience pain once the anaesthetic wears off, potentially leading to further complications. So, for the first few days, be sure to rest the affected area as much as possible.

Pain medication

After your local anaesthetic wears off, it is possible that you'll feel some discomfort. You may be given a combination of painkillers, depending on the surgery you had. You might be given paracetamol, anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, or codeine. To keep yourself comfortable and ensure inflammation goes down, be sure to administer pain relief when necessary. In most cases, you should not need to take painkillers for more than a week after having surgery performed under local anaesthetic.

Avoid driving until anaesthetic wears off

Whether you can drive after surgery with local anaesthesia depends on the type of anaesthetic used and what kind of procedure you had. If the surgery affects any parts of your body that are important for driving (your feet and/or hands), you will need to wait until you have complete feeling and strength in these areas before getting behind the wheel. In situations where you were given a sedative as well as local anaesthetic, please wait for around 24 hours before you drive. You must be absolutely sure that you can control your vehicle before going anywhere.

How long does it take local anaesthetic to wear off?

The exact length of time you will feel the effects of local anaesthetic differs depending on the type used by your surgeon. Some kinds of anaesthetic may cause you to feel numbness for one or two hours, while others may not wear off for six to eight hours.

Can I have local anaesthetic if I'm pregnant?

It has been shown that lidocaine, which is the most commonly used form of local anaesthetic, has almost no effect on you or your foetus, so you are safe to have local anaesthetic when pregnant. Your consultant will always be careful to check that the medication you are given doesn't compromise the health of your pregnancy in any way.

Can I eat and drink before local anaesthetic?

Yes. As long as your operation doesn't involve your digestive system or bladder, you should be able to eat or drink as normal before your operation. However, please do refrain from drinking alcohol for 24 hours before your treatment.

What if I don't want to be awake during my operation?

If you don't want to be awake during your surgery, we can offer general anaesthetic instead, which means you'll be asleep for the duration and won't feel a thing. It's so important that you are comfortable about every aspect of your surgery, so please do talk to your anaesthetist about any preferences you might have beforehand.

Some issues with local anaesthesia can occur, but these are extremely rare. Your consultant will speak with you about the potential risks involved before scheduling you in for surgery.

• Redness on your skin
• Bruising around site of local anaesthetic
• Infection
• Bleeding
• Blood clotting
• Headache
• Nerve damage
• Allergic reaction
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Seizure

• Flexible appointment times and locations to suit your schedule
• The freedom to choose which hospital and consultant meet your needs
• Personalised, consultant-led treatment plans tailored to your individual requirements
• Comfortable and safe private facilities maintained by expert multidisciplinary teams
• Private ensuite rooms as standards and delicious healthy meals
• Affordable, fixed-price packages with aftercare included
• Flexible payment options to help you spread the cost of your care

If you would like to learn more about this procedure, book your appointment online today or call a member of our team directly on 0141 300 5009.

Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in December 2022. Next review due December 2025.

1. Local anaesthesia, Healthline
2. What to know about local anaesthesia, WebMD
3. Local anaesthetic, NHS
4. Local anaesthesia, Bupa
5. Epidural, NHS
6. Use of local anaesthetics for dental treatment during pregnancy; safety for parturient, NIH