Patient Satisfaction in Upper Limb Surgery: A Comparative Study of Regional Versus General Anaesthesia

Abstract

Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of healthcare quality, particularly in the context of anesthesia during surgical procedures. This study aimed to compare patient satisfaction, pain management effectiveness, and postoperative outcomes between regional anesthesia (RA) and general anesthesia (GA) in upper limb surgeries. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Anaesthesiology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, involving 80 adult patients scheduled for elective upper limb surgeries. Participants were equally divided into RA (n=40) and GA (n=40) groups. Data on demographics, satisfaction levels, postoperative pain (measured using the Numeric Rating Scale), recovery duration, and complications were collected and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0. Results indicated significantly higher satisfaction among RA patients (75%) compared to GA patients (50%) (p=0.041), with superior pain control in the RA group (80% reporting tolerable pain) versus the GA group (60%) (p=0.035). Postoperative complications were fewer in the RA group (2.5%) compared to the GA group (10%). In conclusion, regional anesthesia demonstrated advantages over general anesthesia in terms of patient satisfaction, pain management, and reduced postoperative complications in upper limb surgeries.