Post Spinal Anesthesia Side Effects

Spinal anesthesia is a quick and usually easy way of completely numbing a specific part of the body for surgery or other painful medical procedures. A trained anesthesiologist injects anesthesia into the lower back. Obstetricians frequently use spinal anesthesia to ease pain during childbirth and to keep the mother awake during a Cesarean section. Post spinal anesthesia side effects can vary, but are usually not too serious.

Headaches

• The No. 1 side effect of spinal anesthesia is headaches. Younger people seem more likely to get a headache after spinal anesthesia. The headache can usually be treated with pain medication or even caffeine. If the headache doesn't go away, the doctor may try an epidural blood patch, which usually gives relief immediately.

Low Blood Pressure

• Some patients may have low blood pressure after spinal anesthesia. This is usually the result of dehydration. Doctors usually insist the patient drink plenty of water after spinal anesthesia.

Painful Bladder

• Occasionally, a patient will have a painful bladder after spinal anesthesia. This is caused by urinary retention which distends the bladder, resulting in pain. If the patient can't urinate on his own, he may need to have his bladder catheterized.

Neurological Damage

• Neurological damage is very rare, although patients are frequently concerned about it. If an epidural vein is damaged during the procedure, a hematoma may occur. A hematoma is a collection of blood which is ripe for infection. Fortunately this hardly ever happens in patients who clot normally.

Unusual Side Effects

• Other rare side effects include nerve damage, backache, decrease in sexual function and allergic reactions.