What are the Risks and Benefits of Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthesia, also called an epidural, is a method of numbing the body. An epidural is often done to prevent pain during childbirth or after a major abdominal or chest surgery.

During an epidural, a numbing medicine (anesthetic) is injected into the back, near the spinal cord. The medicine affects the lower half of the body.

What are the benefits of epidural anesthesia?

Epidural anesthesia:

• Helps control pain after a procedure or childbirth.
• Reduces the amount of pain medicine that is needed after the procedure or childbirth.
• Results in less sleepiness after the procedure or childbirth compared to other kinds of pain medicines.
• Helps you get back to your normal activities.
• Allows you to be awake during the procedure or childbirth.

What are the risks of epidural anesthesia?

Epidural anesthesia can result in:

• A severe headache called a spinal headache.
• Uneven, incomplete, or no pain relief.
• Difficulty breathing.
• A long-term or permanent inability to move (paralysis). This is rare.
• Seizures.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements.
• Infection of the spine.
• A drop in blood pressure (hypotension).
• Nerve damage.
• Bleeding between the spinal vertebrae and the outside lining of the spinal cord (spinal hematoma).
• An allergic or toxic reaction to the anesthetic.
• Difficulty breastfeeding right after giving birth (during the postpartum period).
• Loss of heart function (cardiac arrest). This is rare.

Epidural anesthesia can also cause the following side effects:

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Dizziness and fainting.
• Shivering.
• Fever.
• Itching.