What is regional anaesthesia?

Regional anaesthesia involves numbing a specific part of the body by injecting anaesthetic agents near the nerves that serve that area.  Regional anaesthesia can be used as a sole anaesthetic technique or combined with general anaesthesia.

 

Key Features of regional anaesthesia when used as a sole anaesthetic technique:

• Consciousness: Patients are generally conscious and aware of their surroundings unless combined with general anaesthesia or sedation.

• Numbness: Only the targeted region is numb, while patients remain awake and pain-free.  The numbness and pain relief often last for multiple hours after a surgical procedure.

• Muscle Function: Patients maintain muscle function in the other areas of the body, allowing them to communicate and participate in the procedure if needed.

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Types of Regional Anaesthesia:

• Epidural: Commonly used for pain relief during childbirth, an anaesthetic is injected into the spine's epidural space.

• Spinal: A spinal block involves injecting anaesthetic into the cerebrospinal fluid around the spinal cord to numb a larger area.

• Peripheral Nerve Block: Local anaesthetic is injected near specific nerves, providing numbness to a limb or body part.

Regional anaesthesia can be used for orthopedic surgeries, cesarean sections, joint replacements, and other procedures requiring targeted pain relief.