Can Tubal Reversal Surgery Be Done With An Epidural?

“Can tubal reversal surgery be done with an epidural?” Epidural needle being inserted at start of surgery Women ask this question because they are fearful of being ‘put to sleep’ with general anesthesia. Many women are familiar with epidurals because of child birth, c-sections, and tubal ligation. Epidural anesthesia can cause more complications than general anesthesia. Epidural anesthesia may not the best choice for outpatient surgery. Although tubal reversal can be done with epidural anesthesia, our experience has demonstrated tubal reversal under general anesthesia is safer and has less side effects. What Is Epidural Anesthesia An epidural is a type of anesthesia that uses a small plastic tube (called an epidural catheter) inserted into the patient’s back and near the spinal nerves. This allows numbing medication, or anesthesia, to be given near the nerves inside the spinal canal. Area where epidural catheters are inserted    Image complements of Blausen.com staff. “Blausen gallery 2014”. Wikiversity Journal of Medicine 1 (2). doi:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 20018762 To place an epidural, a doctor must insert a large needle through the skin and between the bones of the spine. The small catheter is placed inside the larger metal needle and the catheter is pushed near the nerves in the spinal column. The needle is then removed and the catheter is allowed to remain during the surgery. Numbing medication is then continually given thr...
Source: Tubal Reversal Blog - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Tags: anesthesia epidural surgery tubal reversal Source Type: blogs