In a recent poll of 640 regional anesthesiologists from around the world, 93% indicated they use ultrasound to guide procedures and 62% use ultrasound every day. The poll was conducted during a webinar, “Expert Ultrasound-Guided Blocks for Knee Surgery – IPACK, Genicular Nerve, and Adductor Canal Technique“, presented by Dr. Gregory Hickman, the medical and anesthesia director at the Andrews Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center in Florida.

A long-term proponent of ultrasound guidance, Dr. Hickman is gratified to see the high level of ultrasound use revealed by the poll.

Ultrasound guidance improves your speed of being able to do the block, and it actually improves the duration of blocks because you’re getting more local around the target nerve versus doing it blind where you really don’t see it. It should help anyone’s confidence in what they’re doing to be able to see what they’re doing,” he explains.

Five Reasons Clarius Wireless Ultrasound is Ideal for Regional Anesthesia

Dr. Hickman is a frequent contributor to Clarius Classroom and has recorded three highly-rated regional anesthesia webinars. While he has numerous conventional ultrasound systems at his disposal at the Andrews Institute, he often carries a Clarius L15 HD3 in his pocket. We asked him why he uses Clarius handheld ultrasound for regional anesthesia.

1. Anesthesiologists Are Often on the Move

You have to be fast. You don’t have a lot of time to drag a big ultrasound around with you. The best thing about the Clarius is it’s pretty simple and very mobile, so I can use it in different areas. I can go quickly to the operating room, do an intraarticular injection in the knee. Then I can go to the recovery room and do a quick superficial cervical plexus block if needed there. I can also take it with me to our physical therapy area for a follow-up after surgery. It’s very easy to hold. You can scan for a good long time and really not get tired because it’s so lightweight and compact.”

2. Image Quality Matters and Clarius Delivers Great Value

For the cost, the size and the mobility, the quality are really very good. They’re continually updating and giving you better quality imaging. Clarius is great value for the money. You’re going to get a fantastic image for a $5,000 system.”

3. Freedom from Wires Is a Great Advantage

It just makes it so handy not to be tethered to your probe with a wire. Being free to carry your probe and scan without wires is quite valuable. The ability to just hold the whole scanner in your hand and not having wires falling on the patient, going across their nose or eyes is a great advantage.”

4. Disinfection Is so Easy

The Clarius probe is so easy to disinfect. I mean, all you have is the probe. You don’t have the whole cable and tube and everything, and all this stuff, it’s just wipe off the contact part and you’re done. The simplicity of that cleaning and disinfecting is really nice.”

5. Everything Is on Your Ipad or Your Phone and You Can Position It Anywhere

Because the Clarius App is on your iPad or phone, it’s very easy to adjust settings quickly. I just grab the iPad in one hand and the probe in the other hand and off I go, and that works great for me. I can lay my mini-iPad right on the patient’s abdomen so it’s in my line of sight. There are no cords to get in the way. It’s really easy to add some depth or change the gain simply by adjusting the screen with one finger.”

I know it’s also popular in the emergency room and for sports medicine physicians on the field and in the hockey rink. It’s an advantage to get your results immediately.”

See Clarius Wireless Ultrasound in Action: ACL Block – iPACK

Watch this three-minute video to see Dr. Hickman demonstrate an iPACK block (infiltration between the popliteal artery and capsule of the knee) to selectively block the posterior compartment of the knee, while maintaining sensorimotor function of the leg and foot.

Book a Virtual Demo to See Clarius High-Resolution Wireless Ultrasound for Regional Anesthesia

For most regional anesthesia procedures, the speed and high-definition image of Clarius ultrasound get you there, in-and-out, faster. In additional to delivering comparable image quality, Clarius can be purchased at 60 to 90% savings over traditional compact ultrasound systems. Clarius offers three wireless handheld ultrasound systems designed for guiding regional anesthesia procedures to improve safety and clinical results.

Contact us today to book a virtual demo to learn which Clarius scanner is ideal for your practice.