Spinal block (EN) Spinal block (EN)

How to prepare for your operation

• It is important that you follow the rules. If you fail to do so, life-threatening situations may occur during your operation.
• If you have failed to (fully) stick to the rules, the anaesthetist may decide to stop your operation from going ahead.

Pain relief
You will be given pain relief around one hour before your operation.

What happens during a spinal block?

A member of staff will take you to the operating theatre. Once there, you will lay down on the operating table, with your arms placed in two supports. Our staff will connect you back up to the monitor. Next, all members of the operating team will carry out their final checks. We can then start administering your spinal block.

This injection into your back will anaesthetise your lower body. Our staff will ask you to sit up and lean forward. Please follow their instructions. The anaesthetist will feel your lower back and pelvis to determine the right place for the injection. Once they have found it, the anaesthetist will disinfect this location. This might feel a little cold. The anaesthetist will then carefully insert the needle into your back.

Sometimes, multiple attempts may be needed to locate the right spot. This injection may hurt a little. Once the needle is in the right position, the anaesthetist will inject the anaesthetic. You will notice it starting to take effect; your legs will start tingling and feeling warm. You can now lay back down.

You will lose the feeling in your legs, and you will also no longer be able to move them. If you prefer not to stay conscious during the procedure, you may be given some light sleep medication. We call this sedation; it is not a general anaesthetic. Once the spinal block has fully taken effect, your surgical procedure can start.

Intravenous drip in your arm

An intravenous drip will be inserted into your arm so we can administer fluid and medication.
You will not see anything of the procedure. This is because the site of your operation will be fully screened off.

What happens after your operation?

After your operation, you will be taken from the operating theatre to the post-anaesthesia care unit. This is also referred to as the recovery room.

Once there, our staff will connect you back up to the monitor, so that we can measure your heartbeat, blood pressure and the oxygen level in your blood. A tube may also be inserted into your nose to supply oxygen. You are in the recovery room to slowly wake up from your anaesthetic or to recover from your operation.

The care team will carry out certain checks, such as measuring your temperature using an ear thermometer. If no tube has been inserted into your bladder, the care team will use a scanner device every now and then to check whether your bladder is getting too full. This scanner will be gently pressed onto your lower abdomen, so we can see your bladder. If necessary, you will be given extra medication to counter any pain and nausea.
If you are doing well and your anaesthetist feel you are ready, the staff at the nursing ward will come and collect you.

When will your anaesthetic wear off?

It will take one to three hours for the effect of your anaesthetic to fully wear off. First of all, your legs will start tingling. You will regain control over your legs before the feeling returns.

Pain relief after your operation

It is important that you experience as little pain as possible following your operation. We will offer you pain relief for that reason. The anaesthetist will discuss which type of pain relief you are given:

• Pills, suppositories or intravenous drip
  During your admission, you may be offered pain relief in the form of pills, suppositories or an intravenous drip. For pain relief at home, you will be given pills or suppositories.
• PCA pump
  PCA stands for 'patient-controlled analgesia'. A PCA pump enables you to administer small amounts of pain relief yourself. When the pain gets too much, simply press the button.
  
• Epidural
  If you are given epidural pain relief, a tube will be inserted into your back. Your pain relief will then be administered via that tube.
• Plexus block
  This is a local anaesthetic that numbs one or more nerves via an injection into your arm or leg. The anaesthetic will temporarily disable the nerve cluster in question.
• Local anaesthetic administered by the surgeon
  At the end of the operation, the surgeon will inject a little local anaesthetic around the site of the operation.

What are the possible side effects?

You may experience the following side effects:

• Low blood pressure. The anaesthetist will keep a close eye on this and will take measures if necessary.
• In some cases, the anaesthetic may spread slightly upwards. This may cause a tingling sensation in your hands, for example. Very occasionally, you may also struggle to breathe as a result. If so, the anaesthetist will give you extra oxygen.
• You may also feel nauseous. If so, please tell us, so we can give you medicine to counter this.
• You may struggle to urinate. Very occasionally, we may need to empty your bladder using a tube (catheter) in this case.
• The site of the spinal block injection may feel sensitive. This will go away by itself.
• You may also feel pain somewhere else because you spent a long time laying down in the same position during your operation, for example. This pain will usually go away within a few days.
• Very occasionally, you may get a headache after a spinal block. This headache may start immediately after your operation, or it may start 24 hours later. In most cases, this headache will go away within a week. If your headache is so strong that you cannot get out of bed, please contact the anaesthetist.

Good to know

As we monitor your vital signs (such as your heartbeat) at all times during and after your operation, we can easily spot and treat any possible side effects.

Going home

If you are able to go home on the day of your operation:

• Make sure you are not home alone the first night after your operation.
• You are not allowed to drive yourself home. Please make sure you have arranged for someone to take you home.
• You are not allowed to use dangerous machinery that day.
• Do not take any important decisions that day.
• Take it easy at home for the first 24 hours after your operation.
• Make sure you have stocked up on plenty of pain relief at home. This may include paracetamol, ibuprofen or diclofenac.
• Carefully follow the instructions of the doctor who carried out your operation.

It is normal to feel unfit for a while after your operation. This is not just down to the anaesthetic, but also down to the fact that every operation is a major life event. Your body simply needs time to recover.

Contact

If you have any questions, feel free to call.

Preoperative screening

+31 88 624 21 39 (lines open 08:30 to 17:00, Monday to Friday)