Wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technique versus general anesthesia for the removal of implants after ankle fracture union - A randomized controlled trial.

Ankle fractures which commonly require surgical intervention, often lead to subsequent implant removal, which traditionally involves general or regional anesthesia. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of the Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique as an alternative to general anesthesia (GA) for ankle implant removal. This single-center, prospective randomized controlled trial at a tertiary orthopedic center was conducted from June 2022 to August 2024.