Spinal anesthesia with lidocaine

Spinal anesthesia is a type of anesthesia, during which a blocking agent is injected into the cerebrospinal fluid. This type of anesthesia is one of the local anesthetic, and that the patient is unconscious, use sleeping pills.

Lidocaine is a preparation of a group of amides. Among local anesthetics, it takes an average duration of action. For spinal anesthesia, the drug is used as a 5% hyperbaric solution on dextrose or a 2% isobaric solution. The main drawback of this drug can be attributed unpredictable and short duration of action( 45-90 minutes).However, this deficiency is easily compensated by the use of adjuvants. There is another dark spot in lidocaine - there have been reports that this drug is neurotoxic. Later it was found that this fact applies exclusively to its five-percent concentrated solutions.

This drug differs rapidly from the onset of exposure, usually with intrathecal injection, the operating anesthesia matures within 5 minutes. Lidocaine, unlike bupivacaine, has a lower cost and greater availability in the CIS, as well as a more pronounced motor component of the block.

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Spinal anesthesia with lidocaine is done in the same place as epidural anesthesia; however, the spinal anesthesia differs from the epidural because the thinner needle is used in the first case. Also for the spinal block, the dose of anesthetic is much less, the drug is injected into the space containing the cerebrospinal fluid, it is below the level of the spinal cord. Immediately after the introduction of the spinal anesthetic, the patient in the lower part of the body begins to feel numb. Spinal anesthesia, in general, as well as epidural in cesarean section, during contraception is contraindicated.

With total anesthesia, complete loss of sensitivity is provided, pain is eliminated, and consciousness is also absent( temporary phenomenon).

Spinal Anesthesia Procedure To perform this procedure, the patient should lie on his side or be seated. In what position will spinal anesthesia be made, the anesthesiologist decides, who together with the assistant should explain to the patient how correctly to take the required position of the trunk. In order to safely and quickly perform this type of anesthesia, the doctor asks the patient not to move during the injection and especially not to change his position of the body. After the patient takes the necessary position of the body, the injection site is treated with a special disinfectant solution, then the puncture site is anesthetized and only then spinal anesthesia itself is performed.

Sensations for this manipulation

Spinal anesthesia usually does not cause unpleasant sensations. It takes about ten minutes. After the administration of an anesthetic drug and after performing spinal anesthesia with lidocaine, the patient can feel a slight tingling in the legs( shin, foot, sole), a feeling of "diffusion heat".Such feelings are quite normal and they do not need to be afraid. In the legs may also appear a feeling of heaviness, the legs become "disobedient."Then the patient ceases to feel pain when touching sharp objects in the place where the operation is planned. Sometimes a patient may feel a slight painful tingling( as though the current has slightly knocked).If there is such a feeling, it is necessary to tell this to the anesthesiologist, but you can not turn your head and change the position of your body.

Advantages of spinal anesthesia

  • During the operation, the amount of blood lost is reduced.
  • The risk of postoperative complications is decreasing - thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery, thrombus formation.
  • The undesirable effects associated with the operation, on the lungs and heart less.
  • After the operation, no pain, nausea, vomiting, weakness.
  • No tight restrictions in the postoperative period for food and drink intake.

During surgery, the anesthetist can enter a sleep-like state at the request of the patient, which is undesirable.