Medical Questions » Pregnancy Questions » Question No. 807
| Question: | I will be having my baby by Caesarean section, and the obstetrician said he would arrange for a spinal anaesthetic. What is a spina! anaesthetic? Why do doctors use them? |
| Answer: | The spinal cord inside the vertebrae of your back carries all the nerve impulses to and from the lower part of your body.
If a needle is inserted between two vertebrae in the back and an anaesthetic agent injected, the nerves below that level will cease to transmit the pain sensations from the legs, pelvis and abdomen to the brain. The nerves that control your muscles and their movement are not affected. This is a spinal anaesthetic.
Doctors use this type of anaesthesia in a difficult childbirth and Caesarean section because it has no effect on the baby. They are also used in elderly and debilitated people who may be at risk with a general anaesthetic.
A tube is left in your back during the operation, so that the anaesthetic can be topped up as required, and you have to lie flat in bed for a day or two afterwards. A severe headache is the most common complication.
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