The use of combination cervical plexus block and general anesthesia for radical neck dissection in a patient with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who receive a general anesthetic are at increased risk for postoperative pulmonary complications; therefore, it is desirable to avoid or to limit the dose of general anesthesia in these patients. Regional anesthesia, or a combination of regional and light general anesthesia, is an ideal choice for achieving this goal. This case report demonstrates how we used cervical plexus blocks in combination with light levels of general anesthesia for radical neck dissection in a patient with severe COPD.