Advantages of partial anesthesia
The advantages include the fact that various important bodily functions/organ systems are significantly less stressed compared to general anesthesia. For example, partial anesthesia is particularly suitable for patients with chronic lung disease (e.g. COPD). These patients benefit from not needing to be ventilated during surgery.
The metabolism and the acid-base balance of the body also have less need to compensate.This can be a reason why patients with chronic and/or multiple illnesses, e.g. with consciousness, are not affected, except for sedation (twilight sleep), which may have been carried out. Artificial respiration, including the administration of muscle relaxants, is also not necessary. As a rule, high doses of systemically effective painkillers (drops, tablets, intravenous injections) are not required immediately after the procedure, since, for example, the anesthesia of the corresponding extremity (arm, leg) already provides good pain relief.
The procedures of partial anesthesia usually have an effect not only during the operation, but significantly beyond. As a result, painkillers can be saved in the postoperative phase. Depending on the patient and the procedure, so-called pain catheters (e.g. PDK = peridural catheter) can also be placed.
These are connected to a pump system. Blocking times and dosage are set. The patient can then “re-inject” painkillers several times a day at the push of a button.
- Diabetes mellitus (“diabetes”),
- Cardiac insufficiency (“cardiac insufficiency”) or
- Condition after heart attack to operate under partial anesthesia.
Side effects and risks of partial anesthesia
These are very safe, routinely used standard procedures. However, all procedures can lead to bleeding complications with the formation of a hematoma. The bleeding/haematoma can compress the surrounding structures, especially nerves, and lead to failure symptoms.
Allergic reactions can occur if the patient is intolerant to medication. Infections after the procedure are also possible. In the procedures near the spinal cord, the puncture can also cause back pain.
Piercing the hard meninges during spinal anesthesia may cause a small leak and loss of cerebral fluid. This leads to a negative pressure and to so-called “post-puncture headaches“. This can be well treated by a specific treatment.
The most serious complication, which occurs very rarely, is the so-called total spinal anaesthesia. This can occur when the local anaesthetic is inadvertently overdosed, when the anaesthetic rises too high in the cerebral fluid or when the injection needle is accidentally placed in the subarachnoid space instead of the epidural space. Total spinal anaesthesia is a procedure that involves the permanent presence of an anaesthetist and a professional team, as well as numerous monitoring options, means that help can be provided quickly even in such a situation.
- Nausea,
- Vomiting,
- Blood pressure fluctuations and
- Heart rhythm disturbances occur.
- Urinary retention (inability to empty the bladder spontaneously) is a possible complication, but can be treated well.
- Unconsciousness,
- Respiratory and circulatory arrest.
