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Anesthesiology news
Don't blame the block: Study finds nerve blocks alone don't increase pain sensitivity in healthy volunteers
Nerve blocks—local anesthetic injections that block pain signals—are a valuable opioid-sparing technique for controlling pain after surgery. However, some patients experience temporary sharp increases in pain as the nerve ...
18 hours ago
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A conscious choice: Local and spinal anesthesia emerge as safer alternatives in spine surgery
General anesthesia, once the default choice in spine surgeries, is increasingly giving way to local and spinal anesthesia as the preferred option for eligible patients. Since 2024, surgeons at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) ...
Jul 13, 2026
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Demystifying the molecular mechanisms of general anesthesia
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Birkbeck, University of London, have identified a site where a commonly used anesthetic binds to sodium ion channels, revealing a molecular mechanism that may explain how these drugs ...
Jul 12, 2026
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Many chronic pain patients can reduce opioid use with slow, voluntary taper
More than 50 million Americans live with chronic pain; among them, approximately 1 in 10 take prescription opioids regularly. A new large-scale study led by Stanford Medicine suggests that—with the right approach—many people ...
Jul 10, 2026
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Clinical trial offers strong evidence that nerve blocks can cut opioid use after cardiac surgery
A clinical trial led by St. Michael's Hospital researchers found that using nerve blocks, an anesthesia technique to numb targeted areas of the body, significantly reduced opioid use after cardiac surgery—findings the authors ...
Jul 7, 2026
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Boom in ketamine clinics and at-home delivery sparks safety concerns
The American Society of Anesthesiologists is calling on policymakers to address the fast-growing problem of home delivery of ketamine and the lack of physician oversight in ketamine clinics. In guidance updated this month, ...
Jun 22, 2026
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Inexpensive drug should be used in most major surgeries to prevent blood transfusion, clinical trial finds
A landmark clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that tranexamic acid reduced transfusions across major surgeries without increasing the risk of dangerous blood clots. The trial was coordinated ...
Jun 10, 2026
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Dreaming under anesthesia may make surgery feel less scary, study finds
A new study suggests anesthesiologists may be able to safely increase the likelihood that patients dream during surgery—and that those dreams are typically positive, calming and associated with a better overall surgical experience.
Jun 9, 2026
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At a Tennessee hospital, nurse stole fentanyl and AI missed it, state records say
About a year ago at Erlanger Baroness, the largest hospital in Chattanooga, anesthesia staff noticed that a nurse was slurring his words and struggling to stay awake while on duty in the surgery center, according to a Tennessee ...
Jun 9, 2026
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Major surgery may accelerate memory loss in 1 in 7 older adults
Going through surgery can take a significant toll on a patient's physical health and capabilities, especially if they are elderly. A recent study found that the effects extend far beyond mobility and pain management, as the ...
Laryngeal mask safe for pediatric adenotonsillectomies
A laryngeal mask (LM) is a safe alternative to tracheal tube (TT) intubation for pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing adenotonsillectomies, according to a review published in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, ...
Jun 1, 2026
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Obesity tied to longer operative time for pediatric adenotonsillectomy
Pediatric patients with obesity undergoing adenotonsillectomy (AT) face longer operating times, according to a study published online May 21 in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal.
May 29, 2026
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'Pink noise' can help make anesthesia work better during surgery
In the brain, specific electrical waves are associated with different states of consciousness. For instance, delta waves—also known as slow waves—are especially prevalent during deep sleep, as well as during states of unconsciousness ...
May 21, 2026
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Study suggests novel way to protect aging brains after surgery
Many people experience temporary cognitive impairment immediately after surgery. In people over age 60, however, about 1 in 10 continues to experience deficits in learning, memory, and executive function for more than three ...
May 20, 2026
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Low vitamin D levels linked to more pain after breast cancer surgery
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with more moderate to severe pain following breast cancer surgery and an increased consumption of opioid drugs, finds research published in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
May 19, 2026
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Advancing perioperative medicine central to future of health care
Perioperative medicine is emerging as a transformative, comprehensive, system-wide approach to patient care before, during, and after surgery—that reduces complication rates and hospital days, provides better health outcomes, ...
May 14, 2026
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It's not just deep sleep: Anesthesia drives brain into a strange state doctors are only beginning to map
People often describe anesthesia as something that puts a patient in a "deep sleep." An anesthesiologist enters the operating room, and part of their mission is to ensure that the patient is completely unaware of what is ...
May 13, 2026
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Cold comfort? Icing injuries may prolong pain and slow recovery, preclinical results suggest
Icing a sprained ankle or sore muscle, long used to reduce pain and swelling, may in the longer run delay recovery and prolong pain, new research suggests. In a preclinical study published in Anesthesiology, McGill University ...
May 12, 2026
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Study identifies post-extubation pneumonia as a distinct condition after surgery and determines key risk factors
A Hiroshima University study of more than 31,000 patients found that pneumonia occurred more often after breathing tubes were removed than during ventilation, with most cases developing within a 1–2 week window after surgery. ...
May 7, 2026
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While patients lay unconscious under anesthesia, their brains kept decoding stories and preparing for what came next
Baylor College of Medicine researchers have found that the human brain is capable of sophisticated language processing while in an unconscious state from general anesthesia. The findings, published in Nature, challenge what ...
May 6, 2026
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Heavy air pollution is linked to worse post-surgical outcomes
Air pollution has been linked to a host of poor health outcomes, from respiratory infections to suicide risk. Now, new research in the Wasatch Front of Utah—which occasionally experiences the worst air quality in the nation—has ...
May 6, 2026
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Combination treatment could be safer, more effective for drug overdoses involving severe agitation
A team of Marshall University researchers has published a new study suggesting a potential breakthrough in how doctors manage severe agitation caused by methamphetamine and/or cocaine use, particularly in cases in which opioids ...
Apr 26, 2026
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Ukraine's war amputees are breaking the pain-trauma cycle, with most regaining function and quality of life
Most war amputees experience steady improvements in pain, psychological symptoms and quality of life over time, according to a new study that followed 156 Ukrainian amputees for one year and was led by Northwestern Medicine ...
Apr 21, 2026
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Combining cannabis with opioids offers no added pain relief for knee arthritis patients, study concludes
Combining cannabis with an opioid did not improve acute pain for people with knee arthritis, according to results of a study published in Anesthesiology.
Apr 21, 2026
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How a tiny circle of repeat offenders poisoned 100s of gold-standard medical trials for over a decade
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of medical research as random assignment approach helps eliminate bias and yields the most reliable evidence on whether a treatment truly works. Since RCTs sit at ...
