ABSTRACT
The leg is prepared and draped, and a local anesthetic agent (lidocaine) is used to numb the site of cannulation. The Seldinger technique is used to get venous access. (Figure 102. 2) Under ultrasonographic guidance, a dilute local anesthetic agent is injected into the tissues surrounding the greater saphenous vein within its fascial sheath. In most patients, 60-120 ml of lidocaine is sufficient. Delivering the anesthetic in the correct interfascial location with a volume sufficient to compress the vein and dissect it away from other structures along its entire length is important. Some interventionalists prefer a local anesthetic with epinephrine.
