> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theplasticsfella.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Giving Birth to a Textbook, 3 Local Anaesthetic Tricks, & Live Events - URL: https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/ - Published: 2025-07-11T19:38:25.000Z - Updated: 2025-07-13T12:59:27.000Z - Description: Also: Sneak peek at Foundations, the Sunday quiz, & how to inject LA guide. - Author: PlasticsFella - Tags: thePlasticsPaper #### In this week's edition 1. ****✍️** [****Letter from P'Fella**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#a-letter-from-pfella) Giving birth to a textbook (a big one). 2. ****🤓** [****The Sunday Quiz**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#the-sunday-quiz) Check back next week! 3. 🖼️ [****Image of the Week**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#image-of-the-week) LA calculations summarised. 4. ****🚑** [****Technique Tip**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#technique-tip) How to inject local by Don Lalonde: Video. 5. ****🎈** [****Upcoming Events**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#upcoming-events) Foundations launch event: Happening July 26th. 6. 📘 [****Foundations Textbook**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#foundations-textbook) Take a peek inside! 7. ****🔥** [****Articles of the Week**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#articles-of-the-week) How to minimise LA pain, does mixing LA work?, & quick LA calculation: With 1-sentence summaries. 8. 💕 [****Feedback**](https://www.theplasticsfella.com/july-13th/#feedback) Suggest ideas & give feedback! ## A Letter from P'Fella **We Are About to Give Birth to the Textbook....* 👋 Creating a textbook from scratch is like trying to do a facelift in a sandstorm — no visibility, constant grit in your eye, and someone's always asking, **“Is this really necessary?”* Yes. It was. And now it’s real. What started as a vague, caffeine-fueled dream — *“Wouldn’t it be cool if residents had a textbook that didn’t suck?”* — somehow turned into hundreds of pages, weekly feedback cycles, too many Google Docs, and something we’re ridiculously proud of. No publisher. No institution. Just us, building what training forgot. ### It Took a Village. And Then Some. Every chapter? Edited, re-edited, and gently (or not-so-gently) torn apart by real trainees and real consultants. Every diagram? Agonized over by a design team who now knows what a keystone flap is — **and probably needs therapy because of it.** Every sentence? Vetted for clarity, relevance, and that mysterious vibe of “useful-but-not-so-dull-you-want-to-die.” The feedback loop never ended. It was a relay race of red pens and existential dread. But it worked. Because every step of the way, *someone cared enough to make it better.* ### This Isn’t Just a Book. It’s a System Reset. See, textbooks are usually written in towers — high up, far away, and years out of date by the time they hit your desk. Ours? Built from the ground up by the people in the trenches: - Residents who actually have to learn this stuff under pressure. - Fellows who still remember what it’s like to fail an OSCE station. - Consultants who want you to understand the *why*, not just memorize the *what*. It’s not perfect. **But it’s built to *keep getting better*. That’s the real flex.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a0/9f/a09fd7b4-d396-4b28-aed3-b87e20483292/content/images/2025/07/Textbook.png) Final Draft ### Only 500 Copies. This is just the first edition. Like plastic surgery itself, we built it to evolve quickly, responsively, and in full public view. If you’ve ever thought, *“Why isn’t this in the textbook?”. N*ow’s your chance to fix that. Because if we’re building the next generation of plastic surgery education, we’re doing it *together*. No gatekeepers. No committees. Just people who give a damn. Thanks for sticking with us. With love, P Fella ❤️ ## The Sunday Quiz **Under Development* **Check back next week for the fresh edition* ## Image of the Week **LA Calculations* 🖼️ ****Image of the Week** This week’s image breaks down how to calculate safe doses of local anaesthetic — a must-know for everyone in theatre. \- Maximum safe doses per kg for common LA agents. \- Total allowable dose limits. \- A quick formula for calculating maximum volume based on concentration. ![Maximum Volume of Local Anaesthetic](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a0/9f/a09fd7b4-d396-4b28-aed3-b87e20483292/content/images/2025/07/Main-Article-Images---2025-07-11T150705.248.png) Maximum Volume of Local Anaesthetic ## Technique Tip **How to Inject Local by Don Lalonde* 🚑 ****Technique Tip of the Week** This week’s technique tip features a classic from Don Lalonde: how to inject local anaesthetic safely, effectively, and painlessly. ▶️ Watch the video below ## Upcoming Events **Foundations Launch Event: Happening July 26th* 📅 We’re hosting our ****first-ever live event** to celebrate the launch of [**Foundations*](https://foundations.theplasticsfella.com/?ref=theplasticsfella.com). It’s happening ****Saturday, 26th July**, and you’re invited. What to Expect: \- A look inside the textbook \- Behind-the-scenes insights \- Webinar by our fellows and experts More information coming soon! Sign up below! ## Foundations Textbook **Take a Peek Inside* 📘 Curious about what [**Foundations*](https://foundations.theplasticsfella.com/?ref=theplasticsfella.com) will actually look like? We're nearly there! While we finalise the full release, here’s a sneak peek at a few sample pages from the textbook. Designed to be ****practical**, ****structured**, and ****easy to revisit** on the job or just before exams. Got feedback or suggestions? We’d love to hear from you. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a0/9f/a09fd7b4-d396-4b28-aed3-b87e20483292/content/images/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-19.10.42.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a0/9f/a09fd7b4-d396-4b28-aed3-b87e20483292/content/images/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-19.10.35-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a0/9f/a09fd7b4-d396-4b28-aed3-b87e20483292/content/images/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-19.10.05-1.png) Foundations - Sample Images ## Articles of the Week **3 Interesting Articles with One-Sentence Summaries* ✅ ****Minimising Pain During Local Anaesthetic Injection** ([Strazar](https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/abstract/2013/09000/minimizing%5Fthe%5Fpain%5Fof%5Flocal%5Fanesthesia%5Finjection.30.aspx?ref=theplasticsfella.com), 2013) Simple adjustments to technique, such as needle gauge, buffering, slow infiltration, and patient communication, can reduce injection pain to just the initial needlestick, even for large tumescent fields. ✅ ****Ropivacaine Adds No Benefit to WALANT** ([Gricourt](https://www.jhandsurg.org/article/S0363-5023%2825%2900137-6/abstract?ref=theplasticsfella.com), 2025) Combining ropivacaine with lidocaine in WALANT surgery did not improve pain relief, quality of recovery, or reduce analgesia use compared to lidocaine alone. ✅ ****A Simple Method for LA Volume Calculations** ([Ahmed](https://www.jprasurg.com/article/S1748-6815%2823%2900288-7/abstract?ref=theplasticsfella.com), 2023) Calculate safe local anaesthetic volumes on the spot: Multiply the patient’s weight (kg) by the safe dose (mg/kg), then divide by the LA concentration (mg/mL) to get the maximum safe volume ## Feedback ### I hope you enjoyed it 😄 ---