What is the difference between an epidural and a spinal anesthetic?
Spinal anesthesia involves injection of a very small dose of local anesthetic directly into the spinal fluid, using a very small needle. It is usually a “one-shot” approach without a catheter (tiny plastic wire-like tube) for repeat dosing. The lower part of your body will usually get very numb immediately. Epidural anesthesia involves placing a small catheter through a needle into a space called the epidural space, which can be thought of as a sheath around the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The needle is removed but the catheter stays in place in order to allow continuous or repeated dosing as needed. The onset of epidural anesthesia is slower than spinal anesthesia, about 10-20 minutes. Epidural anesthesia is most commonly used when repeated dosing is likely to be necessary (such as during labor, or for longer surgery) because the catheter makes repeat injections easy. The risks of spinal and epidural anesthesia are similar, and the procedures usually feel quite similar to the patie
