Can i use regional anesthesia with a sedative, instead of general anesthesia for my arthroscopic shoulder surgery? i don't like being put under

Inter Scalen block: You can ask your anesthesiologist during preop visit to consider inter scalene block . There is possibility of failure in this block , so some ortho surgeons don't like it.

Yes: Regional anesthesia (nerve block) with sedation is a great option. Speak with your anesthesiologist to determine if there are no contraindicating factors. Sometimes general w/ or w/out regional maybe necessary. It is normal to feel anxious about "being put under" however general anesthesia is employed safely everyday!

Yes you can: Have an interscalene regional block done under sedation, with the surgery with the block and sedation. Another advantage is you will have no pain when the surgery is finished requiring narcotics.

Local anesthesia: Not a good idea for extensive surgery.

Maybe!: Regional blocks with sedation may be a good option for you, although they are not done in all centers. Bear in mind though that any block can fail or wear off, so you might need general anesthesia anyway. Discuss options with your physician anesthesiologist. You can have a phone call or consult ahead of time if you wish. Ga is remarkably safe.