Enhancing Comfort in Plastic Surgery: A Guide to Lower Limb Nerve Blocks

2. Femoral Nerve Block:

• Location: The Femoral Nerve is located in the pelvis and goes down the front of the leg. It controls movement and sensory feeling in the hips and legs.
• Procedure: Pain signals from the lower limb are temporarily stopped from reaching the brain through the administration of the nerve block. A local anesthetic, such as lidocaine or bupivacaine, is injected at the skin level to minimize discomfort during the procedure.
• Examples: thigh contouring, knee lifts, liposuction and lipedema surgery

3. Popliteal Nerve Block:

• Location: The Popliteal Nerve is a lower leg nerve that provides sensation to the knee joint and the posterolateral section of the leg.
• Procedure: Dr. Azouz will administer a local anesthetic close to the popliteal fossa in order to block the sensory nerves supplying the posterior knee and calf. The sciatic nerve is the primary nerve impacted by a popliteal nerve block. The popliteal nerve block is helpful for a variety of surgical and pain management procedures because it blocks these sciatic nerve branches, which in turn provides analgesia to the posterior knee and calf.
• Examples: calf implants removal, liposuction and lipedema surgery

4. Tibial Nerve Block:

• Location: The majority of the posterior leg and foot are controlled by the tibial nerve, one of the two sciatic nerve terminal branches, that provides motor and sensory function.
• Procedure: In order to block sensory signals and provide analgesia to the posterior area of the leg and the sole of the foot, Dr.
• Examples: calf implant removal, liposuction and lipedema surgery

5. Saphenous Nerve Block:

• Location: The saphenous nerve is a sensory nerve that arises from the femoral nerve, and provides stimulus to the skin of the medial part of the leg and foot. It travels down the thigh, crosses the knee joint, and descends along the medial side of the leg into the foot.
• Procedure: A local anesthetic, such as lidocaine or bupivacaine, is injected near the saphenous nerve using ultrasound guidance.
• Examples: liposuction and reconstructive surgery

6. Obturator Nerve Block:

• Location: Through the anterior division’s terminal branch, the obturator nerve regulates the skin of the central region of the upper thigh. Additionally, it gives the lower leg’s adductor muscles motor sensation.
• Procedure: Dr. Azouz will inject close to the obturator nerve during an obturator nerve block to momentarily stop its function. This will reduce pain in the obturator nerve’s supplied areas, which makes it helpful for surgeries or illnesses affecting the hip, inner thigh, or pelvis.
• Examples: Thigh lifts and lipedema surgery

7. Pudendal Nerve Block:

• Location: A Pudendal Nerve Block involves the injection of medication into the pudendal nerve to provide relief from pain or discomfort in the pelvic area. The pudendal nerve is a major nerve in the pelvic region that supplies sensation to the external genitalia, perineum (area between the anus and genitals), and the rectal area.
• Procedure: A local anesthetic, often combined with a corticosteroid for prolonged relief, is injected near the pudendal nerve to block pain signals.
• Examples: Body Contouring Surgery and Labiaplasty