Why did nerve block fail and intubation general have to happen to my son? he needed arm surgery at 15.

It happens: Nerve blocks fail sometimes. Often it is not a complete "does not work" but rather that the level of numbness/anesthesia is simply not adequate.

Can happen: Nerve blocks are very good methods of pain relief. However, they may be less-reliable as a standalone surgical anesthetic. This can happen even with an excellent block, and may depend on the individual or surgical technique. Often are combined with general anesthesia electively. Should still have good post-op pain control with it. Depends on circumstances and anesthesiologist judgment.

Failed block: Regional blocks can "fail" for many reasons, most often it is because the local anesthetic may not come in adequate contact with the nerve that the clinician is attempting to anesthetize. This happens occasionally, and any patient having this done must realize that the possibility of a general anesthesia "back up" may be required.

Happens sometimes: Nerve blocks sometimes fail even when done by very experienced doctors. The fall-back option is always general anesthesia. Sometimes too, even though a block is working, teenagers respond unpredictably to sedatives and may become cooperative or restless. They may need to be completely asleep for surgery to finish safely. Some anesthesiologists don't give nerve blocks to teens for this reason.

What surgery: What kind of surgery did he have? Sometimes with a regional block and the patient is sedated, they are still moving on the table. This is dangerous for your son and a moving target for the surgeon. The next best thing is to move on to a general anesthesia. Depending on the case, this requires intubation.

It happens: It can happen but general anesthesia is safe.