Anesthesia: Regional

Anesthesia means loss of sensation or feeling. Certain medications are given to lessen or stop the pain in part or all of the body. Regional anesthesia works by numbing a group of nerves that control a section of the body such as an arm or both legs. This type of anesthesia is often used for labor during childbirth and for surgery or procedures that involve one major part of the body.

When used on the lower half of the body, the regional anesthesia is called a spinal or epidural block. The patient is numbed all the way from the waist down. Epidural anesthetics are sometimes used for 3 to 4 days after surgery to decrease post-operative pain. For other parts of the body, physicians can select nerves to block pain.

The patient is not put to sleep by the nerve injection. In some cases, another drug may be given to make the patient very sleepy and produce amnesia for the procedure.

Depending on where the drug is injected, different side effects may occur. A headache may follow a spinal anesthesia, or the bladder can fill with urine while the person is still numb. A catheter may be required to empty the bladder. Nausea and vomiting may also occur. The numbing effects of the nerve injection wear off in about an hour or two unless additional doses are given.

Copyright (c) 1998. HBO & Company (602) 230-7575. All Rights Reserved.