Shoulder operations can also be performed without general anesthesia, under ‘regional anesthesia’ or an interscalene block. Here, several nerve bundles in the cervical spine area are targeted for infiltration with an anesthetic, whereupon the shoulder region becomes numb. Unlike general anesthesia, the patient remains conscious and is responsive at all times.

Note. Only in exceptional cases is an interscalene block the sole form of anesthesia used. This technique is often combined with general anesthesia, and there are many advantages to this. One is that fewer painkillers are needed than with general anesthesia alone. Also, the additional use of interscalene block can provide effective relief of symptoms in the shoulder area for several hours after the operation, and might thus prevent the painful after-effects of a shoulder operation.