A comparison of selective and conventional spinal anaesthesia for ambulatory surgery.

Background: Selective spinal anaesthesia is the practice of employing minimal doses of intrathecal agents so that only the nerve roots supplying a specific area and only the modalities that require to be anaesthetised are affected. The study is based on the hypothesis that small dose lidocaine spinal anaesthesia may be adequate for elective surgical procedures, providing limited motor and sensory block, and thus enabling earlier patient's discharge. The aim of this study was the comparison of the low and the conventional dose of lidocaine spinal anaesthesia discharge time.