Effect of Fasting on Patient Outcomes After Wide-Awake, Local Anesthesia-only, No Tourniquet (WALANT) Procedures

The purpose of this study is to determine whether eating solid food prior to undergoing a wide awake local-only no tourniquet (WALANT) procedure reduces anxiety in patients or has any effect on outcomes. Patients will be split randomly into two groups and told whether to eat or fast before their procedure. We will then compare levels of anxiety and nausea on the day of the procedure as well as satisfaction with the procedure and other outcome measures at follow-up visits. Our hypothesis is that patients who are instructed to eat before their WALANT procedure will have less anxiety, nausea, and overall higher satisfaction compared to those who are instructed to fast prior to their procedure.

• Patients will initially present for preoperative evaluation in clinic, where they will be approached about whether they are interested in participating. More thorough discussion about risks and benefits will either take place in person at this visit, or over the phone. Consent forms will be signed in person or via Qualtrics/RedCap. If they choose to participate, they will be assigned either to the eating group or the fasting group. Patients in the fasting group will be told to avoid any food past midnight the day before their surgery and any liquids 4 hours before their scheduled surgery. The eating group will be told specifically to eat a light meal (equivalent to two slices of toasted bread with butter and jam, and one cup of coffee or juice) the morning of their surgery, within two hours of their procedure start time. Preoperatively demographic information will be collected via paper forms or via Qualtrics/RedCap both via interview and from medical records, and a pre-operative QuickDASH will be collected as well. All their other preoperative instructions will be consistent with the current protocols.
• On their day of surgery, they will present to the hospital at the pre-arranged time. They will be taken to the preoperative area, where they will be treated in the standard way to prepare them for any procedure. While in the preoperative area, they will be asked whether they ate solid food prior to arrival. They will also be assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Score and preoperative pain/nausea visual analog score either on paper forms or via Qualtrics/RedCap. Heart rate, blood pressure, and body mass index will also be collected. They will then undergo their procedure the same way regardless of whether they ate.
• Postoperatively, they will be taken to the recovery room. There, they will again be assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Score and postoperative pain/nausea visual analog score either on paper forms or via Qualtrics/RedCap. Heart rate and blood pressure will also be collected at this time.
• Patients will be followed at regular intervals following their procedure at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. At their first postoperative visit, patients will be assessed using the surgical satisfaction-8 scores either on paper forms or via Qualtrics/RedCap.
• Patients will also be given the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) to complete at their second postoperative visit at approximately 6 weeks either on paper forms or via Qualtrics/RedCap.
• Patient data will be collected until 6 months post operatively. Complications such as wound healing, infections, medication side effects will be included in data collection, these will be collected from medical records only and no further study surveys or interventions will be performed after the second postoperative visit.