[Unilateral spinal anesthesia : Literature review and recommendations].

[Unilateral spinal anesthesia : Literature review and recommendations].
Anaesthesist. 2016 Oct 24;
Authors: Büttner B, Mansur A, Bauer M, Hinz J, Bergmann I
Abstract
Unilateral spinal anesthesia is a cost-effective and rapidly performed anesthetic technique. An exclusively unilateral block only affects the sensory, motor and sympathetic functions on one side of the body and offers the advantages of a spinal block without the typical adverse side effects seen with a bilateral block. The lack of hypotension, in particular, makes unilateral spinal anesthesia suitable for patients with cardiovascular risk factors e. g. aortic valve stenosis or coronary artery disease. Increasing numbers of surgical procedures are now being performed on an outpatient basis. Until now, spinal anesthesia has been considered unsuitable for this, not only because of the high incidence of intraoperative hypotension and postoperative urinary retention but also because of the prolonged postoperative stay before home discharge. This is not the case with unilateral spinal anesthesia: motor function returns rapidly, the incidence of urinary retention is extremely low, and patients are usually eligible for home discharge sooner than after bilateral spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia. The success of the technique depends on a number of factors. In addition to the local anesthetic, its concentration and dose, and the baricity of the injected solution, the ...

Source: Der Anaesthesist - October 23, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Büttner B, Mansur A, Bauer M, Hinz J, Bergmann I Tags: Anaesthesist Source Type: research