Efficient and Safe Outpatient Shoulder Arthroplasty Using Isolated Regional Anesthesia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BackgroundRegional anesthesia as a sole modality for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) remains rare in the U.S., typically <2% of cases. Benefits--reduced opioid use, shorter recovery, fewer airway/general anesthesia complications--are well-known, but real-world ambulatory data remain scarce. We aimed to evaluate efficacy and safety of interscalene block with sedation as the primary anesthesia modality in an outpatient TSA population. MethodsThis retrospective study reviewed 330 adult elective primary TSAs from January 2018 to December 2024 at a tertiary academic center. Interscalene block using 0.5% long acting local anesthetic with sedation was used in all. Primary outcomes included: ambulatory discharge success, conversion to general anesthesia. Secondary outcomes included: PACU duration, time from anesthesia start to ready, complications, 30-day readmission. Data were compared to national benchmarks. ResultsConversion to general anesthesia was required in 4 of 330 cases (1.2%). Ambulatory discharge success rate, was achieved in 95.9% of patients. Mean PACU stay was 57.4 {+/-} 14.8 minutes. Anesthesia start-to-ready time was 12.1 {+/-} 3.6 minutes. No major anesthesia-related complications occurred except for transient hemidiaphragmatic paresis seen in 1.2% of patients. Readmission rate was 2.7%, none anesthesia-related. ConclusionsRegional with sedation anesthesia for TSA demonstrated a high ambulatory discharge success rate with minimal complications. This model is feasible for high-throughput ambulatory centers.