THIS IS MOST INTERESTING. MY LAST ANESTHES. TOLD ME MY LAST ESI (#29) WAS SAFE, NO RISKIER THAN ANY OTHER. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 3 LAYERS OF SCAR TISSUE FRM 3 PRIOR LUMBAR OPERAT'IONS. GUESS YOU CAN'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR. IT WAS A ROUGH ESI. NO WALKING FOR WEEKS,
AL
DocSarah wrote:
I would counsel caution with regard to an epidural if you already have back problems; there again, a lot depends on the relative risks of regional (epidural) anaesthetic compared with a general anaesthetic and that will depend on individual circumstances. For instance, if there are heart/lung/other organ problems, then a general might be more risky and in that case, a regional anaesthesia a safer option.
If there has been previous back surgery or trauma, the risk is that the epidural space will be compromised (by scar tissue) which would increase the risk of a dural puncture.
Hope this makes things a bit clearer
Regards,
DocSarah