(Almost) painless surgery: a historical review of the evolution of intraurethral anesthesia in urology

Urology
Jennifer GordetskyRonald Rabinowitz

Abstract

The discovery of local anesthesia revolutionized urologic surgery. We investigate the evolution of intraurethral anesthesia in urologic surgery beginning in 1884. A review of the literature was performed, reviewing the history of local anesthesia for urologic surgery, with a specific emphasis on intraurethral anesthesia. Using the University of Rochester libraries catalog "Voyager," a search was performed reviewing the primary literature published on intraurethral anesthesia beginning from 1884 through 2009. We also reviewed published literature in Ovid Med and PubMed for articles relevant to the topic of intraurethral anesthesia. The search terms were intraurethral, cocaine, lidocaine, and anesthesia. In the 1840s, it was demonstrated that ether, nitrous oxide, and chloroform could prevent the pain of surgery, resulting in a dramatic increase in surgery. At Massachusetts General Hospital between 1845 and 1847, surgeries increased 2.5-fold. Four decades later, it was demonstrated that cocaine allowed for adequate analgesia without the side effects of general anesthesia, resulting in a dramatic increase in urologic surgery. Cocaine was gradually replaced as an intraurethral anesthetic as safer local anesthetics, such as lidocain...Continue Reading

References

Apr 29, 2009·Journal of Endourology·Vassilios TzortzisJean J de la Rosette
Jul 1, 2009·Pediatric Emergency Care·P Patrick MularoniHarold K Simon

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