Spinal Anesthesia During C Section

Whether you have general spinal or epidural anesthesia for a cesarean birth will depend on your health and that of your baby.

Spinal anesthesia during c section. For a planned c section you may have a choice of anesthetic although you should be aware that a spinal block or epidural are generally considered the safest. It also depends on why the c section is being performed. Learn more about anesthesia for c sections at http spr.

Though i personally have never had a c section i ve done the anesthesia for many as a nurse anesthetist. Kimberly langdon of ohio and she assures me that these are. Regional blocks such as a spinal anesthetic or epidural are preferable.

According to john s. Mcdonald md chairman of the department of anesthesiology and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at ucla medical center spinal block has emerged as the preferred approach to cesarean section anesthesia based on the finding of higher maternal mortality among patients who undergo general anesthesia. But what you need to know about getting a spinal block during a c section can make you feel a lot better.

Other types of regional c section anesthesia in this category also include spinal anesthesia combined spinal epidural anesthesia cse etc. The primary disadvantage is the potential for severe hypotension consider prehydration with 20 cc kg proper positioning and keeping phenylephrine and epinephrine on hand. Cesarean delivery c section is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus.

However general anesthesia can be applied quickly in an emergency or if you need a cesarean delivery quickly. A spinal anesthetic can be given in a variety of settings for a variety of surgeries but here we are discussing it in the context of a cesarean section c section. The difference between spinal and epidural for c section lies in the duration of numbing and their effectiveness.

While spinal blocks are given in one shot and have a high quality of pain blocking for a shorter period epidurals last longer and are not as potent at blocking the pain. A c section might be planned ahead of time if you develop pregnancy complications or you ve had a previous c section and aren t considering a vaginal birth after cesarean vbac. I spoke with ob gyn dr.