Anaesthetic and pain management following a hip fracture

Anaesthetic

Before your surgery you will meet the anaesthetist, who will use an anaesthetic to make sure you are comfortable during your operation.

There are two main type of anaesthetic. The anaesthetist will discuss this with you.

General anaesthetic

If a general anaesthetic is used, you will be given a combination of drugs to put you "to sleep" for the operation. For additional pain relief after the surgery, the anaesthetist may decide to inject local (regional) anaesthetic drugs into your groin or lower back.

Regional anaesthetic

To position you on your side for a spinal anaesthetic a drug will be given to make you a little sleepy.

A spinal anaesthetic is an injection of local anaesthetic drugs into your spine, making you numb from the waist down, to ensure you have no pain during the surgery. This anaesthetic will not make you go to sleep for the operation, which normally means you will recover quicker.

Pain relief

If you have a fractured hip, you can expect to be in pain. You will feel pain both before and after surgery, so you will be offered painkillers to keep you as comfortable as possible.

For some people, regular pain relief such as paracetamol is enough to keep their pain under control, but many people find they need stronger painkillers. Stronger painkillers may help to relieve your pain, but they can also cause side effects such as constipation and still may not allow you to move around comfortably in bed.

Another option is an injection in the groin. This is called a "nerve block", which can be very effective in reducing pain and has fewer side effects.