Scope of Thoracic Segmental Spinal Anaesthesia, a Novel Regional Anaesthetic Technique, at the Minor Operative Unit of Cancer Hospital - Case Series

Minor operation theatre (OT) in oncology setup frequently provides anaesthesia to patients in whom the expected surgical time is <2 h and/or the expected blood loss is <500 mL. Unfortunately, these patients are often laden with multiple life-threatening comorbidities. Rendering general anaesthesia or deep sedation is thus a very risky option. Thoracic segmental spinal anaesthesia (TSSA) could be proposed here as it has a distinct advantage over erector spinae, paravertebral block and epidural in terms of dose required and timing of induction. TSSA also adds to the benefits by reducing the hospital stay and economic burden on the oncology patients. Very little is available in the literature to describe the feasibility and potential outcomes of TSSA as a sole anaesthetic technique in patients undergoing such oncological procedures at a minor OT setup.