PROLONGATION OF ANESTHESIA IN MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY WITH 2-PERCENT LIDOCAINE JELLY

The authors performed a prospective, randomized trial of topical 2% lidocaine jelly in patients with basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas to test the effectiveness of the jelly in prolonging the time of anesthesia between the multiple stages of Mohs micrographic surgery. There was a 48% increase in the duration of anesthesia achieved by the use of 2% lidocaine jelly in patients given 1% lidocaine with epinephrine. In patients given 1% lidocaine without epinephrine, there was approximately a 2.5 times greater duration of anesthesia achieved by using topical 2% lidocaine jelly.