Could a Spinal anaesthetic work better for me?

Hey BlueDaisy, Alan or anyone else who might be able to tell me :D . . .

To give you a quick rundown:
For my first caesar the anaesthetist attempted an epidural insertion which was unsuccessful. The first 4 times he hit bone which resulted in me feeling a terrible shooting nerve pain down my spine. On ther 5th attempt he got the epidural in, however I only started to go numb in one leg. As a result I was put under :(.

There is a chance I may need another caesar and I desperately wish to avoid another general anaesthetic. I have discovered the reason why the anaesthetist had trouble getting the epi in as I have hyperlordosis and my spinal Dr said that if the anaesthetist looks at my xrays he should know the angle he needs to get the needle in next time. My only other worry is, what if he gets the epidural in but I still do not go numb properly.

Does a spinal work differently to an epi? Would a spinal be a better option to look at as opposed to an epidural in terms of helping the anaesthesia to spread properly???

Sorry No idea just thought I would post to get your post back up to the top

goodluck

I have no idea either but I would certainly like to know the answer to this too as my anethesist had to try 4 times until the epidural worked also, was quiet horrible and they were getting frustrated with me cause it wasnt working and they had no idea why, then talk began on putting me completely under and I said No way! I dont want to be completely asleep good thing 4th time was lucky. Im due to have another Cesar in 2 weeks so would be good to know if the spinal works differently fromt he epi.

Hope you find the answers charlismumma, good to see your opened to the fact that C section may be necessary, maybe it would be less traumatic for you if you were awake this time. Good luck!

hey Tam

this is just from my head...so it may not be completely correct

but

a spinal is an injection of 'drugs' into the epidural space and is alot more effective, providing a denser and more comprehensive block

an epidural involves the placement of a catheter into the epidural space and then the injection of 'drugs', the block takes longer to be effective and is not always comprehensive (such as patchy or incomplete blocks)

I had a spinal with my first labor, after 2 ineffective epidurals and it worked very well very quickly. Did not personally (as the recipient) notice much difference in the procedure

hope this helps
x

Hi charli'smumma
There are a few differences between a spinal and an epidural which I will list for you.
Spinal
Needle can not be left in place so basically it is a one dose only anesthesia.
Anesthetic is injected into the spinal fluid. (the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord).
Usually produces a denser block thus preventing you from feeling anything including contractions.
Can have more severe side effects than an epidural.
Often used for emergency CS as it can be a little quicker
Epidural
Can be left in place so top up?s can be given.
Anesthetic is injected into a space just before the spinal fluid.
Block is not usually as dense as a spinal thus controlling the pain but letting you feel the contractions and possibly leaving you with enough control to push.
If you are going to have a CS then they will increase the amount of drugs or use a slightly different mix of drugs to give a dense block.

There would be no different with inserting the needle as for spinal or epi they need to pass the needle pass the bones of your back. The gap between the bones is quite small and it can sometimes take a few goes to get the right spot.
It is not all that common but sometimes a spinal or an epi do not work. Other times they only work on part of your body.
A spinal is not done as often as an epidural and there is a chance that some doctors are more experienced with doing an epidural and prefer this to the spinal.
I find it a little strange that your doctor did not top up your epidural if only 1 leg went numb. Also he could have got you to change position. This will help to distribute the drug around your spine more and thus blocking more nerves. Of course if there was a need to get the baby out quickly then I can understand the need for a general.

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for getting back to me :)

Obviously I would prefer a VBAC for my next birth but I have to be realistic and acknowledge that I may end up needing another caesar.

Natalie, from the experience you had, it sounds like it could very well be worth me asking the anaesthetist for a Spinal instead of an Epidural.

Alan, No, the anaesthetist didn't get me to change position to see if the epi would "run" better. All I remember him doing was rubbing an alcohol swab on my legs and tummy to see if I could feel it. He waited a few minutes before suddenly telling me I had to have a general and before I had time to comprehend it the mask was over my face and I was out to it. The part that upsets me most is that it wasn't an emergency situation. I had an elective caesar on my obstetricians advice because I had pre-eclampsia and bubs head wasn't engaged (so she said an induction wouldn't work). So I don't know why the anaesthetist was so rushed. Well, I suspect it's all about keeping the production line of caesars running smoothly as I was first for the day :wall:

Charli'smumma, I know how you mean about the anethesist being rushed, they were like that with me too, even though it was an elective talk began very quickly about putting me completely under, I think its just easier for them if they cant get it to work to just put you to sleep rather than stuffing around with medications trying to get it to work, sorta a shame the attitude some take towards it really.