Anesthesia for Hip Arthroscopy: A Narrative Review

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure indicated for the treatment of specific hip disorders. In this narrative review, we aim to examine the key components in providing anesthesia for this procedure. MEDLINE®, PubMed, and EMBASE™ databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles discussing the anesthetic management of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. The primary anesthetic regimen used for hip arthroscopy should balance patient factors, preferences of the surgeon, and the demands of the procedure itself. Both general and neuraxial anesthetic techniques are well suited for this mostly ambulatory surgical procedure. There is a lack of current literature specifically comparing the benefits and risks of the two techniques in this setting. Postoperative pain management consists mainly of intravenous and oral opioids; however, a variety of regional anesthesia techniques, such as lumbar plexus block and fascia iliaca block, can be performed pre- or postoperatively. Overall, hip arthroscopy is safe, although positioning-related difficulties, extravasation of irrigation fluid, hypothermia, infections, and thromboembolic events are potential perioperative complications that warrant specific monitoring and prompt treatment. Until now, the anesthetic technique for hip arthroscopy has not been well studied. Thus, increasing emphasis should be directed towards examining relevant clinical outcomes that can better inform evidence-based decision-making in the anesthetic management of hip arthroscopy patients. In the meantime, awareness of potential complications and vigilant monitoring are paramount in providing safe anesthetic care for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.