For operations in the lower part of the body, sometimes it is possible for you to have a spinal anaesthetic. This is when an anaesthetic is injected into your lower back (between the bones of your spine). This makes the lower part of the body numb so you do not feel the pain of the operation and can stay awake.
Typically, a spinal lasts one to two hours. Other drugs may be injected at the same time to help with pain relief for many hours after the anaesthetic has worn off.
During your spinal anaesthetic you may be:
- fully awake
- sedated with drugs that make you relaxed, but not unconscious.
For some operations a spinal anaesthetic can also be given before a general anaesthetic to give additional pain relief afterwards. Your anaesthetist can help you decide which of these would be best for you.
Please note, the NHS Lothian spinal anaesthesia page is still in progess. In the meantime we encourage you to read the excellent Royal College of Anaesthetists patient information leaflet
PLEASE NOTE
This website includes content taken from the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ (RCoA) leaflets ‘Fitter, Better, Sooner (2018)’, ‘You and your anaesthetic (2020)’, ‘Anaesthesia explained (2015)’, and ‘Common events and risks in anaesthesia(2019)’. However, The RCoA has not reviewed the website as a whole. Some of the RCoA infographics used on the website have been adapted for web viewing.
