Is Spinal or epidural used along with general anesthesia?
In surgery on the blood vessels, the chest and for postoperative pain control spinal or epidural may be used along with general anesthesia. There are some great benefits from these techniques which include decreased blood loss during surgery, decreased risks of phlebitis, and a reduced risks of stress reaction as a direct result of the patient having surgery. In the case of spinal, when narcotics are added, this can give a patient anywhere from 12-24 hours pain relief after surgery. Epidural is much longer pain control because a small catheter is placed in the back and this may be used for 1 to 4 days post operatively. Some of the side effects of the narcotics that the patient would receive via these techniques include itching, nausea, vomiting, and/or diminished respiratory rate. Other medications may be administered to relieve these symptoms.
