This presentation will attempt to review the commonly known complications, their incidence and steps that might be taken to avoid them. Complications may be divided into specific groups, those related to procedure, those related to technique, or those which may be considered idiopathic.
Complications related to anesthetic are specifically related to the type of anesthetic administered.
General anesthetics have not been without risk, noting two cases of adult respiratory distress syndrome reported by Small in 1988 following knee arthroscopy. The more common side effects are those of nausea and vomiting and the evolution, of outpatient arthroscopy and better medications, including Diprivan, as an outpatient anesthetic agent, has decreased these side effects. Spontaneous pneumothorax has been described associated with a general anesthesia in shoulder arthroscopy without specific trauma to the chest itself, noting a correlation with people with a history of cigarette smoking. Interscalene blocks have been specifically reported to potentially lead to inadequate blocks, direct nerve injury or pneumothorax. Equipment breakage is a rare cause of complications at the current time.