Epidural & Spinal Anesthesia

[Vampira305]

Moms to be please don't take this shit...I had a Baby 4years ago I was healthy until I got that Needle on My back I have been In pain since I Might have Nerve damage....

[HOPEKMEYER19]

My birth mother had this done when she was having me

[lovers10193]

my mom is getting a cortisone shot next week and it looks really sccary my brither and i r kinda of worried.... should we be??

[MrVickydoc]

i grew up watching your videos ia ma doctor now

[Shareallicu3]

Whats the point of giving birth if your going to be numb?

[corkey04]

Does the big needle hurt?

[AlienXCherie]

While having my first child, i had this done, i was singing praises to whomever came up with epidurals, but I'm tall so the anestiologist (sp?) had plenty to work with, but it is gravuty sensitive. Sleep on one side for long and that side will become heavily numb with the other side unnumbed. If yoy have a good pain doctor, these things are no problem. Had one my second child to, but they were to late, baby passed before it kicked in

[1958boomergirl]

@secretgeekyaccount This is seriously good advice. Good advice. Also, the practitioner should explain what they are doing as they go along. That indicates first-class care.

[justmars30]

So, this is why it terribly hurt when i had anesthesia during the appendectomy done to me...

[oracle2world]

How do you keep the needle, in spinal anaesthesia, from going too far into the spinal cord?

In the epi, do they stop when they feel resistance in the dura?

[Hanglands]

So a spinal anaesthetic "rarely" causes a drop in blood pressure? You are joking right? Stopped watching after that.

[kathseamons]

@Hanglands - yeah, "rarely"...that's a crock! A huge % of patients have a drop in BP!!

[LCPD9111]

also wouldn't that still hurt

the needle in your back

[sonofrattler]

I had an epidural in place for 3 days after I had to have 1/2 of my lung removed. The pain was horrible until the epidural. It worked fine and I had no complications afterward, thank God.

[Gracie05452]

If I was EVER to give birth I would want to do it at home with a midwife. I would be so much more comfortable. Hospitals are kinda scary.

[kathseamons]

@Gracie05452 - so that when you have a cord prolapse, or foetal distress, you can't make it to a hospital in time for an urgent caesarian? Home births should be strongly discouraged in every country. There is reason when foetal and neonatal death rates are so high in under-developed countries. These days most obstetric hospitals have birthing suites that are much less hospital-like, and far more comfortable, but with the benefit of doctors and operating theatres nearby!!

[enelniv]

hi sharon! i gave birth to my first child and have used an epidural. i was really in pain that time and can't afford to not take it. it was a great relieved when they injected me. but as you said there's a risks using it. i just hope it won't show in the future. but really thanks for the info and i really appreciate it. =)

[ZzTechnoGeekzZ]

i would prefer general anesthetic

[HelenoPaiva]

this is not a question of preffering - there is solid indications for epidural, for spinal and for general anesthesia. most of the times it is not a choice of  the patient, but rather a medical decision based on international protocols.

[ZzTechnoGeekzZ]

but they put injections on ure back dat pains... :(

[LCPD9111]

@HelenoPaiva

then how do they make the medical decision of which kind of anesthesia to give

[HelenoPaiva]

@LCPD9111

the doctors decide based upon how long and what kind of procedure the surgeon wants to do - they can use general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia or an epidural blockage - sometimes a mix of those last two.

as for the pain of the needle: it is a weak pain, nothing really special. but some anesthesists would eventually use local anesthesia of the skin to introduce the needle (due to the necessity of re-punction that usually associate with this procedure)

-these procedures are very safe.

[LCPD9111]

@HelenoPaiva

I was asking because i've had few surgeries but i've only been given general anesthesia, not spinal or epidural anesthesia

[HelenoPaiva]

@LCPD9111

Yes, it is usual - spinal and epidural are chiefly used for small procedures - such as hernia repairs, cesarean delivery, hemorrhoids, et cetera.

usually abdomen or thorax surgeries will require general anesthesia.

orthopedic procedures will use nerve blockage (just like epidural, but it`ll block nerves of the limbs only.

and neurosurgeries are usually done with local anesthesia - it demands the patient to be awake, so we can see what`s happening to the brain.

[LCPD9111]

@HelenoPaiva

whats local anesthesia

[HelenoPaiva]

@LCPD9111 Local anesthesia is a procedure that doesn`t really need to be performed by the anesthesiologist. it simply consists of injecting a drug (bupivacaine, lidocaine, xylocaine et cetera) in the sub-cutaneous space. this procedure halts the pain signal in the terminus of the nervous system - no neuron receive pain information. it differs from the blockage, because it is applied in the area being hurt.

it is used by dentists, or in small operations, such as nevus removal, or inguinal hernia.

[LCPD9111]

@HelenoPaiva

ok know there is one thing idon't understand about anesthesia. (the one that makes you go to sleep fully) How do you wake back up from the anesthesia?

[HelenoPaiva]

@LCPD9111 Waking up occurs as the drugs worn off.

Happens fast, because in general anesthesia the hypnotic drugs (the ones that make you sleep, eg: Propofol, Etomidate, Sevoflurane, Isoflurane) have a very short half-life - Means their effect in the body lasts a very short time. During the procedure, the anesthesist must keep using these drugs - once there is no more hypnotic drug: the patient awakes.

Epidural/Spinal uses just mild sedation (benzodiazepinics) - the patient is not fully sleeping.

[LCPD9111]

@HelenoPaiva

so they keep giving you more and more while your knocked out?

[HelenoPaiva]

@LCPD9111 Kinda like it:

they have different systems: for inalatory general anesthesia, they control the rate of sevoflurane/oxygen. - in a rate that is not hazardous, but keeps the patient fully asleep.

there`s another system: fully intravenous - where they use a propofol pump. Here the amount of propofol (or etomidate, eg.) that goes in is controled by the pump.

In both cases, the anesthesiologist use a BIS to check how deep the sedation is reaching - it monitors brain activity. it`s very safe

[LCPD9111]

@HelenoPaiva

know i know everything i need to know about anesthesia

thanks for the information.

also i HATE sedition so much

i've had it done

[ChaudhryTyagi]

@LCPD9111

lol u hate sedition?

i think its medical rather than politics we discussing. okay, just fooling around with ya. i am sure u meant "sedation".

cheers!

[The22clowns]

@HelenoPaiva hi i was reading about the spinal anasthethic ''stovaine'' and when it was introduced around 1907 one of the benefits was said to be less of a chance of a decrease in blood pressure and other complications, yet they had serious problems with stovaine can you tell me why they dicontinued using stovaine and what was causing these problems thanks.

[HardBodyNyC]

If an anesthesiologist pierces the dura can you sue them for neglect?

[mbw0121]

No, this is called a "wet tap" and can lead to a post dural puncture headache. You cannot sue because when you sign consent for the epidural you are informed that this can happen. You consented for the procedure knowing that this was an associated risk.

[MrAnesthesya89]

rupture of the meningeal dura mater, is an accident, no anesthesiologist wants to break the dura mater if you try an epidural block, however if you want a spinal block, obviously you have to break the dura mater

[Marmalade000000]

So, how does the anaethetist know not to pierce the dura? How can they feel if they've gone too far?

[erikamavrich]

there are different techniques that you must know to not pass the duramadre, like loss of resistence or deformity of the bubble during epidural, if you pass it you'll see LCR coming from the needle

[HardBodyNyC]

They don't. Once it's pierced there is no repairing it.

[Phyle9]

They once injected adrenaline in this area in me. To replace a drain for pneumothorax. Was this "spinal anesthesia" ?

It was also about 10 minutes before they removed the drain...

I always wonders why adrenalin?

[MAGG1EB]

ugh, go away nelsonbig, I bet you've never been through labor. Do you really think an epidural takes away all the pain? It doesn't - you still feel plenty.

You also have to realise some people will be looking at this video because they will be getting an epidural for a c-section - or do you think they should do that without anesthetic too?

[nelsonbig]

No. I don't think that women should go through with a NECESSARY Cesarean Section with no anesthetic.

I believe a Cesarean should only be used for emergencies. As stated before, it disallows the natural "Love Hormone" to be released by mom. That's my Pitocin is needed. It's a synthetic (fake) version of the "Love Hormone".

I never stated that the epidural takes the pain away completely. However, I don't understand the point you're trying to make. I simply stated it may be best to avoid it.

[Khamomil]

I've had epidural for knee surgery and my body from the waist down was completely insensitive to anything. When the surgery was over it took about one hour for the sensation to return, meantime I was thirsty as hell but forbidden to drink. It was sheer torture.

As a woman I wouldn't want my baby to come out of me without me feeling anything.

It's true that we should allow gravity to do its work in childbirth, like other mammals. It would be over in a blink and painless.

[lynneeca]

Some people do not tolerate pain well, so an epidural is a viable option for them. As far as needing pain to bond with your baby, well that's a bit over the top. I have done it both ways and bonded with BOTH of my children just fine.

The point is, do what is comfortable for you. There are options if pain is a concern.

[nelsonbig]

wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Oxytoci­n

There is a lot of info there with good citations. I'm not sure I stated that pain itself was needed. It's the natural birthing process that's needed. Oxytocin (the "Love Hormone") is released in large amounts when the mom is dilated.

Studies have, many times, shown that it helps with bonding. Not that a woman won't bond if she doesn't release it. It just helps for MANY things that a hospital birth won't provide.

Please look it up and tell me what you think.

[nelsonbig]

You may have possibly understood my dissuasion of the epidural to the necessity of pain.

Pain itself is not necessary. However, when using an epidural, a mom looses a lot of feeling in the pelvic area. This disallows much of the natural dilation of the cervix. Therefore, hindering the massive Oxytocin release.

Many women who have had epidurals can attest to having Pitocin given to them to induce labor. Again, it is a fake version of Oxytocin, the hormone that should do the inducing itself.

[nelsonbig]

Some women have had this epidural/pitocin process happen multiple times. One leads to the necessity of the other. It becomes a vicious, drugged up circle.

With natural childbirth, without the use of an epidural, Pitocin is not needed. Mom releases enough Oxytocin to help with the dilation.

In a hospital there's screaming "push". This is counterproductive at best. Mom needs to have her own time to deliver the baby. It's a natural process and shouldn't be coached by a doc with a busy schedule.

[1bimba]

i have a 4 year's old baby boy and a 5 month old baby girl and with both I had a epidural ... the pain of the contraction's are too much ... the pain is to MUCH

the epidural hurt's but after 5 min. u don't feel NOTHING. THANK GOD FOR EPIDURAL ...

<3

[nelsonbig]

The beautiful thing is that you have a choice. I'm not trying to make a decision for you. I'm just trying to let women know that they have a choice. The epidural robs women of a chemical released when they baby is born. Look up OXYTOCIN or "The Love Hormone". Pitocin is a fake version of it. It's a hormone that helps mother and baby create a lifelong bond. With an epidural a woman doesn't release it. That's why Pitocin is needed. Don't take drugs while pregnant. Yet, they fill you full of them.

[nelsonbig]

And yes, the drugs DO get to your baby. You're not the only one that gets high off the epidural. Seriously, if someone told you that they wanted to get your baby high, would you let them?

Also, it's hurts that much because they have you on your back and they're forcing you to push.

Both of those are wrong.

Think gravity. Baby coming down and forward is much easier than out and up. AND, a woman will push naturally when it's time. The woman knows, not the doctor. The doctor is on a schedule.

[goldengallopstables]

Honestly, thats what i wanted to hear, i alwys knew it made more sense that way,

[iRHAPEzombiies]

what position should the mother be laying in then?

[nelsonbig]

The short answer is that the mother SHOULDN'T be lying down.

It's been proven that a woman that walks around during labor and does as her body tells her is most productive.

She may want to have him while squatting, while sitting up in a tub, leaning over the bed. Gravity will help tons! Baby going down is much easier than baby going forward and up.

It's difficult for the SURGICAL doc to squat under a mom to catch the baby. Therefore, it's easier if she's on her back. It's counterproductive.

[gadilator]

I'm sorry, nelsonbig...HOW exactly do the "drugs" get to the baby? Please educate me on the placental transfer coefficient of ropivacaine and cite some randomized controlled trials that show epidurals are "killing babies".

Your blathering barely deserves a response from this board-certified anesthesiologist, since you're making a fool of yourself already, but I feel bad for the people who don't know any better, who may come away profoundly misinformed. Show me PROOF, not anti-MD politics.

[sharongillece]

May I ask if you are a board certified Anesthesiologist why are you not telling the true risks of epidurals,Not glossing over them quickly, Do you know just one dropelet of blood can cause Arachnoiditis,Once the dura is niked the Complications of that lead to Arachnoiditis which is a life sentance of Chronic Pain,

[sharongillece]

I am that one in a 100 or so with the complcations, but trust me Arachnoiditis is no walk in the park in fact i would give birth every day of my life for the rest of my life to have my spinal cord back to the way it was before the epidural on the Birth of my Son he is 19 now and believe me you really must look up the complications of epidurals before you agree to having one,

[LCPD9111]

@sharongillece

so is giving general anesthesia better for you

[sharongillece]

I feel I have to say this as there are absolutly 100s of thousands of People World wide who have this dibilitating Chronic pain 24/7 52 weeks of the year look up Arachnoiditis The A Word is a brilliant site written by a Dr who she herself got Arachnoiditis from an Epidural, If it sounds like spiders well its not but what it is is a web like structure of all the nerves that branch out from your spinal cord and they are trapped in the Scar tissue that the epidural causes,

[sharongillece]

think of it this way Most Mothers who have their Children recieve all the injections MMr BcG etc etc, When the Child develpoes a lump under the injection site thats natural scar tissue it forms as a protection for where the needle went in, After a few days that swelling goes down thats normal, But when that Epidural goes into your spinal cord and niks its the healing properties the scar tissue form the protection its worse than that lump under the skin

[sharongillece]

because what happens is the scar tissue gets caught up in all the nerves that branch out of your spinal cord, causing Arachnoiditis,which continues to spread up your spinal cord as each year passes Please please educate yourselves about the real dangers of epidurals , Would you really give yourself a lifetime of chronic pain just to have pain relief for a few hours through the labour I know If I had of educated myself to the real dangers I would never of let them give me an epidural, Sharon

[nelsonbig]

This is sooooo bad. Women are being drugged up in the hospital and it's killing babies. Women are very strong. They have been made to believe that they are weak and need these things. They need this because it's difficult for a woman to give birth on her back. It's counterproductive. The woman needs to move. Midwives and unassisted have a way lesser mortality rate because it's how nature intended it. Please research and don't let "modern" medicine scare our powerful women.

[goldengallopstables]

So basically what your saying is that we women she be having babies at home, without epidurals, but get the advantage of squating when giving birth. Hmmmm i like you ideas. Im wayyyyy to fucking afraid of hospitals. So fuck them it would proally hurt less because of less stress. And you wont be woryying you ass off. Oh well if theirs a problem, yu have a widwife or a neighbor helping right, the ambulance could be there in like 5 mins, the kid can wait that long.

[nelsonbig]

Actually, you are completely correct. It's proven that when women are stressed, it can hinder the birthing process. It can make the contractions stop altogether. I don't blame you for being afraid of hospitals. They really are scary places. They stick you full of chemicals that you have to trust because they said so and not because you know what it is. It's a common misconception that there are less germs at the hospital than at home. The opposite is actually true.

[nelsonbig]

There are occasions when a hospital would be necessary. If the baby is lethargic, not breathing, or if there's hemorrhage. In which case, one could call in advance to have an ambulance on call. Yes, you can actually do that. However, statistically, you have more of a chance of your baby dying at the hospital than at home. THIS IS A STATISTICAL FACT.

[goldengallopstables]

Exactly, i would want a trusted nurse or my husband to be first to hold my kid. Not some stranger....

[nelsonbig]

Exactly! :)

[gadilator]

Yes, let's research this. Nelsonbig, name ONE study that remotely hints that midwives and unassisted lead to reduced neonatal mortality. What? You can't?

Forget your obviously fragile ego for a sec and think about your newborn -- what if he/she has a complication? "Well, my baby is brain-dead but at least I had some scented candles and squatted in my tub at home...hooray for powerful women!!!"

[vmaxdude2000]

My wife just got one for her child birth. Get it if you are afraid of pain. My wife did not want to get it for our first child and we waited so long that she was miserable until she got it. This time we got it almost immediately and they can adjust the dose throughout labor according to pain needs. She was in labor for 18 hours. Thank god for epidurals! My wife hates all needles and can't handle a tiny flu shot but as bad as the epidural looks it's ok.

[Digger49er]

My wife just had a Hysterectomy done with a spinal. She said the actual administration of the spinal was relatively painless it was two days before the nausea went away and she could actually eat and she had a severe headache most of the time as well. All in all it wasn't a good experience for her.

[nzpyro]

Sounds like a postdural puncture headache, you shouldnt normally get one unless your wife had spinal anaethesia (as it involves dural puncture), or there was a hickup in the adminitration of an epidural involving puncture of the duramater.

[enelniv]

i'm thinking of having epidural injection on my delivery... but after i watched this video, it feels like it's to painful getting injected. but they say its good to have it so the pain for giving birth won't bother you at all...

[whosurmomma38501]

The pain of the needles is definately overridden by the pain of labor. I've had one child without an epidural and one with. Definately opt for the epidural!

[Taymickey61]

It's actually not good for your body or labour to have an epidural. It causes the labour to slow down, it also can cause less oxygen being delivered to the baby's brain which can cause distress and possibly c-sections.

[enelniv]

thank you and appreciate your reply... kaiser, the hospital gave me an option wether to have an epidural or not and all the negative or side effects are also written on the paper. just in case i can't take the pain on my labour, i would definitely have the epidural. but hoping for my baby's safety. my due is near approaching... i feel excited for my baby and feel very nervous at the same time.

[alicool305]

OHHHHHHHHH my it is very nice thank you so much

[fedecy]

awesome graphics

[Nikebelle]

i've heard spinal hurts like hell..is it true?

[brittandbaby]

nope. they numb the area before inserting the needle. I didnt feel a thing!!

[TheBrianna1989]

@brittandbaby I didn't feel pain just labour pains. But its different for everyone.

[DiezTraLoka1992]

and if it hurts a lot, I felt a cramp near the bottom until you get to thinking that would be bad

[tuetson]

I am scheduled for a knee replacement.they are insisting on a epederal,I hear it is a2 hour operation,even if I was sedated I dont think I could handle it.anyone have experiencebwith this

[zone1282]

Epidurals are great. Specially when you have that first baby i had one with my son. The pain of childbirth is like a root canel with no pain meds. ladies if you are wanting to have a baby educate yourself. Lamze is still good for the first part of labor go through lamze because the class educates what your body is doing during labor and after labor. Also there are great websites and books. Educate yourself. But drugs are great when going through labor.

[my3dazies]

I hated the epi, but, afterward (during labor) i was able to NOT VOMIT. And to actually enjoy the whole birth process!

Great animation! Thanks!

But, there should be something about what could happen if the spinal fluid leaks out. (which can happen)

[billjohnsonIII]

I have had to have many Epidurals due to an injury. This allows me to walk as well as play w/ my 6 yo son. A couple of small sticks in the back and w/in 3 to 5 days I am back to myself. Priceless.

[Transam5]

great video! it really doesnt hurt when i had my baby i was more scared about this but it was nothing as long as you have a good doctor

[lienjud]

how about explaining the risks of these interventions?

[enelniv]

on my case.. the hospital gave me a paper saying wether you want to have an epidural or not... it explains in the paper the risks and possible side effects that you might get afterwards.

[sharongillece]

@enelniv I have just replied to this thread explaining the risks of having the epidural,I feel you might like to have a look back at what I wrote, While I am not against epidurals in the right situation, but when in the high pains of labour you are told to lie perfectly still so that the epidural can be inserted, this is not always possible, hope it helps you to undertsnd thew risks sharon

[bwilsonmla]

This is a great 3D animation -Any new Moms-to-be, might want to watch this if they're considering an epidural for pain regulation during child labor. Great job Nucleus.

[mateojulio]

THis is an excellent animation. Very helpful for med students, nurses and patients as well.

[Alfrunk]

Oh no doubt. Since Obama hasn't fixed the health insurance situation yet, I plan to save a lot of money by doing all of our spinal surgeries at home! Thanks to this great vid, I can also do the epidurals at home if there's a procedure that must be done at the hospital. At least that way we'd still save some money.

[PrivateSlacker]

There are small chances of problems happening with either the epidural or the event for which you are getting the epidural. In either case you don't want to be an hour's drive from the nearest operating room when seconds count.

[RobbyArt]

@Alfrunk .... Uh yeah. seriously????

[akny007]

i love these animations.

[InvasiveEndoscopy]

Great animation!

[mvzrebeldepunk]

exelent animation congratulations!!!!!

[hpiantek]

This 3D medical animation is perfect to help understand a spinal and epidural anesthesia. Thank you Nucleus!

[club2v]

exelent... congratulations..

[robertosif]

actually it hurts really bad, but only the local anesthetic, besides the pacient has been sedated previously to this procedure so she doesn´t feel much pain. but still someone has to grab her, otherwise she'll move

[djarky]

She said, the local anesthetic would just "decrease" pain from neddlestick...

Damn.. It must hurts..

[hullkittycat]

Trust me compared to labour pain the needle stick was nothing!

[ngreen81]

This 3d medical animation of spinal and epidural anesthesia is very informative and educational. I enjoyed the different views of the injections. This is great patient education material!

[enickel08]

I had no idea how a spinal epidural worked, that totally makes sense now- this is a great medical animation

[rcollins305]

Great medical animation on spinal and epidural anesthesia! Well done!!