A spinal block or spinal anesthesia is a form of local or regional anesthesia. The medication in this case is injected directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds the spinal cord in the lower back. It is used for genitourinary surgery, hernial repair surgeries, cesarean surgeries or for surgeries of the lower limbs. A spinal block involves injecting the medication in small amounts in the lumbar spine below the place where the spinal cord ends. Although a spinal block is effective in providing complete pain relief during surgery, complications exist, as reported by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists.
Headache
The WFSA states that a patient may have a headache after a spinal block. It may occur within a few hours and may go on for weeks or even longer. Standing or raising the head makes this headache get worse and lying down relieves it. The headache may be accompanied by a stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or light sensitivity. The headache occurs due to the loss of the cerebrospinal fluid through the hole made in the dura by the spinal needle.
Urinary Retention
Spinal anesthesia blocks the ability of the individual to empty the bladder, states MayoClinic.com. This causes urinary retention, and if the excessive fluid is present, it can lead to a painful distended bladder. The patient in such cases requires a catheter, which is a tube inserted in the body to allow the drainage of fluids.
Neurological Complications
Injection of inappropriate medications or chemicals into the cerebrospinal fluid can cause complications such as meningitis or inflammation in the lining inside the brain, reports the WFSA. It can also lead to arachnoiditis, which is the inflammation of the arachnoid, a membrane that surrounds and protects the nerves of the spinal cord. Inflammation may also occur in the gray and white matter of the spinal cord. This is called transverse myelitis. Cauda equina syndrome, another complication, is a disorder in which the bundle of nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord becomes affected, causing numbness in the area.
Other Complications
MayoClinic.com reports that a spinal block may affect one side of the body more than the other side. It may also cause the blood pressure to decrease; in the case of a cesarean section, this can slow down the baby's heart rate, notes the clinic. If the chest wall is affected, an individual may find it difficult to breathe. Soreness may also result at the injection site. Sometimes, the block may fail and the individual may require an additional spinal block.
