{"id":10655,"date":"2026-08-31T14:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T12:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clinicasanroman.com\/?p=10655"},"modified":"2026-08-31T17:43:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T15:43:16","slug":"local-anaesthetic-foot-surgery-what-it-feels-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clinicasanroman.com\/en\/local-anaesthetic-foot-surgery-what-it-feels-like\/","title":{"rendered":"Local anaesthetic in foot surgery: what it really feels like while you are awake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Will I be awake? Will I hear the saw?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the question that makes people lower their voice in the consulting room. They ask it almost apologetically, as if it were silly. It is not: it is the most common and most legitimate fear surrounding foot surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there is something curious about it. A great many patients are more reassured by the idea of a general anaesthetic \u2014 “just put me under” \u2014 than by staying awake. Yet once they walk out of theatre, that judgement flips completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are going to tell you, minute by minute, what local anaesthetic foot surgery really feels like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why local anaesthetic foot surgery is the standard here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is not a matter of convenience or cost. It is a direct consequence of the technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimal incision surgery (MIS)<\/a><\/strong> works through incisions of approximately 1 to 3 mm, with rotary instruments and real-time X-ray control. The foot is not opened, soft tissue is not torn, muscle is not retracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surgical trauma of that scale does not require putting the whole person to sleep. It is enough to block sensation in the foot at ankle level<\/strong>. From then on the foot stops transmitting sensation while you remain conscious, breathing on your own, with your body functioning normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has concrete and quite relevant consequences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/th>General anaesthetic<\/strong><\/th>Local anaesthetic (ankle block)<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Area affected<\/strong><\/td>The whole body<\/td>The foot only<\/td><\/tr>
Pre-operative work-up<\/strong><\/td>More extensive (bloods, anaesthetic review, ECG…)<\/td>Less demanding<\/td><\/tr>
Fasting beforehand<\/strong><\/td>Required<\/td>Generally not<\/td><\/tr>
Nausea, dizziness, confusion on waking<\/strong><\/td>Possible<\/td>Not applicable: there is no waking up<\/td><\/tr>
Hospital stay<\/strong><\/td>Frequent<\/td>Day case<\/td><\/tr>
Afterwards<\/strong><\/td>Recovery room and observation<\/td>You walk out on your own two feet<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And there is a benefit almost nobody mentions: local anaesthetic makes the procedure accessible to older people or those with underlying conditions, for whom a general anaesthetic would mean an unnecessary added risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it feels like, step by step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before going in<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You arrive, you change and you lie down. No large intravenous line, no general anaesthetic monitor, no countdown. It feels closer to a consultation than to what most people picture when they think “operating theatre”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The injection: the only part you feel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let us be clear, because this is the part that matters: you do feel the moment the anaesthetic goes in<\/strong>. You notice the needle and a sensation of pressure or stinging as the fluid enters. It lasts a short time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most patients compare it to the dentist’s anaesthetic: uncomfortable, yes; unbearable, no. And it is, literally, the only thing you will feel of the entire procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Promising you that you will feel nothing would be lying to you. We would rather you arrive knowing exactly what to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wait: the foot switches off<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then comes a very characteristic phase. The foot starts to feel heavy, warm, “asleep” \u2014 that numb sensation everyone knows when a leg goes to sleep. We check that the block is complete before starting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the moment most patients relax: when they confirm for themselves that they genuinely cannot feel their foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the procedure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are the three answers everyone is looking for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n