A Prospective Clinical Trial Comparing General Anesthesia With Interscalene Nerve Block vs. Deep Sedation Via TIVA-P With Interscalene Nerve Block in Outpatient Shoulder Arthroscopies

The primary objective of this study is to determine if using Total Intravenous Anesthesia with Propofol (TIVA-P sedation) with a regional nerve block will decrease the time to meet discharge criteria. This will be done with patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopic procedures at the Roanoke Ambulatory Surgical Center. Currently, inhaled general anesthesia (GA) with a regional nerve block is utilized for these outpatient arthroscopic procedures. This involves the patient receiving Propofol through an IV to put a patient to sleep, followed by intubation (breathing tube in throat) and the administration of inhaled anesthesia for the duration of the procedure. Another approach for anesthesia in these procedures is TIVA-P sedation. In this protocol the patient receives the same initial amount of Propofol through the IV as they would if they were getting general anesthesia. Once they are asleep, it is maintained with a continuous intravenous administration of Propofol. With this approach, the patient is not intubated and exposed to the same anesthetic agents as general anesthesia. As a result, the patient may not experience the potential side effects associated with general anesthesia. We believe that this will lead to a faster time to meet discharge criteria and also fewer of anesthetic side effects.