[What do French anesthesiologists choose when they are patients themselves?].

To determine whether, as patients, French anaesthesiologists prefer regional anaesthesia, like their North American colleagues, they were all mailed a questionnaire which submitted 2 different scenarios. Scenario A concerned emergency surgery for an open fracture to the right tibia, the patient-cum-anaesthetist having a full stomach. Scenario B was the elective removal of the plate a year later. Response rate was 15% (1,187 answers). For scenario A 89% of physicians preferred regional anaesthesia, while 57% preferred regional anaesthesia for scenario B. Epidural anaesthesia was twice as popular as spinal anaesthesia. Lower limb blocks were only chosen by a minority (A:5%; B:6%). Statistically significant differences were found between selected techniques, according to respondent's age, sex, medical school and type of practice, especially for scenario B. The fear of complications like regurgitation, allergic reaction, or postdural puncture headache seemed to be of less influence in the choice than the experience of the anaesthetist to carry out the anaesthetic in each scenario. It can therefore be concluded that French anaesthesiologists prefer regional anaesthesia for lower limb surgery required for themselves. However, experience of the "operator" with the technique seems to be as important as the technique itself.