Tag: Outpatient procedure

Sclerotherapy is a quick, minimally invasive procedure for treating spider and smaller varicose veins, and unlike more complex surgical interventions, it typically does not require general anesthesia. In most cases, patients remain fully awake during the treatment, which is performed in a doctor's office.

While extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a non-invasive procedure, a significant percentage of patients are put to sleep for lithotripsy with general anesthesia or heavy sedation. The primary reasons for this are not just for pain management, but also to ensure the procedure's precision and effectiveness. Anesthesia prevents patient movement, which can interfere with the accurate targeting of shock waves.