WALANT stands for “Wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet”
“Wide-awake” means having a procedure or surgery without any sedation or general anesthesia.
“Local anesthesia” is “numbing” medication injected around an area to minimize the pain from a procedure.
“No tourniquet” means avoiding the use of a tourniquet which is often used during hand/wrist and elbow surgeries to limit bleeding during a procedure. Tourniquet use during surgery is generally safe, but can be uncomfortable.
Simply put … WALANT entails having a procedure or surgery via local “numbing” medication without being sedated or “put to sleep”.
Many of these procedures can be performed in office, though “WALANT” can be done in the operating room as well.
Does Dr. David Holt perform office-based procedures and/or WALANT surgery?
Absolutely …. many simple procedures can be performed under local anesthesia in the office such as trigger finger release, mass or cyst excision, carpal tunnel release, etc.
What are the advantages?
Avoiding sedation and/or general anesthesia - when appropriate - can limit the risks of surgery, expedite recovery and often requires less time and cost than a standard surgery performed under anesthesia in an operating room.
For example, when Dr. David Holt performs a trigger finger release surgery, most patients elect to have the procedure in office. Dr. Holt will meet you in a clinic room and inject a small amount of local anesthesia (“numbing” medication) into the palm at the site of the surgery. Your hand is then cleaned and prepped for the procedure. Once the medication takes effect, most patients feel no pain or any discomfort during the procedure and are able to leave as soon as the procedure is over - avoiding the recovery from sedation given during most surgeries.
Have questions or interested in proceeding with an office-based/WALANT procedure? Schedule an appointment with Dr. David Holt.
Same day appointments routinely available:
Salt Lake Orthopedic Clinic @ St. Marks Hospital
1100 East 3900 South
Suite # 5000 @ North Medical Building
To schedule, call: (801) 261 -7479 (801) 261 7479
Direct, online booking now available! Click the following link to schedule yourself online.
https://mychart.hca-west.com/mychart/openscheduling/standalone?id=PWE3807&dept=10000008040&linksource=osexternal