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Obstetrical Anesthesia

Anesthesia for the pregnany patient, etc. Some overlap with labor and delivery subsection...

May 18, 2003: Cesarean Section Not Increased by Epidurals
There has long been an association between epidurals and cesarean sections, but recent data shows that epidurals do not cause an increased incidence of surgical delivery.

November 22, 2002: Physiologic Changes in Pregnancy and Anesthetic Concerns
A look at some of the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy and how those affect the anesthesiologist.

November 5, 2002: Subcutaneous Water Blocks for Back Pain in Labor
The use of some simple subcutaneous injections of water is extremely effective for back pain associated with labor.

October 20, 2002: Epidurals and Maternal Fever
Is the association between maternal fever and epidurals a cause for concern? A look at some of the evidence...

October 3, 2002: Anesthesia for Cesarean Section
A discussion of anesthetic options for cesarean section, advantages and disadvantages, post-operative pain relief, etc.

September 15, 2002: Combined Spinal-Epidural (CSE) for Labor Analgesia: The Walking Epidural
Discussion of the technique of combined spinal-epidural including advantages, disadvantages and possible complications.

September 1, 2002: Intrathecal Narcotics for Labor Analgesia
The use of intrathecal (or spinal) narcotics is one option for labor analgesia for patients that do not want an epidural.

August 15, 2002: Systemic Medications for Labor Analgesia (Part 2)
In part 2 of this article, the focus is on the use of narcotics for the relief of labor pain. These drugs are, by far, the most commonly used intravenous agents during labor for analgesia.

August 1, 2002: Systemic Medications for Labor Analgesia (Part 1)
Although regional techniques such as epidural are used more and more for labor these days, systemic medications given through an intravenous line still are a viable option.

February 4, 2002: Epidurals: A Cause of Long Term Back Pain?
The question often arises as to whether epidurals cause long-term back pain in patients. Recent study results show that the risk of long term backache is not increased after epidural anesthesia.

January 17, 2002: Spinal Anesthesia Increases In-Vitro Fertilization Success
It has long been considered true that anesthesia technique influences the success rate of in-vitro fertilization. Now a recent study suggests that spinal anesthesia may be better than general anesthesia in terms of patient satisfaction and pregnancy success rates.

January 5, 2002: Breastfeeding and Anesthesia
Mothers that need anesthesia while breastfeeding their babies are often told to stop. While this is certainly a safe and conservative answer, is it the best or only option?