Pediatric Spinal Anesthesia Program
Spinal Block for Lower-Body Surgery
Spinal anesthesia, or a spinal block, as it is sometimes known, is a method of numbing the lower half of the body before surgery. It is an alternative to general anesthesia for lower-body surgery.
This method is gaining popularity for infants and babies who need lower-body surgery, such as urologic surgery, hernia surgery, clubfoot surgery and circumcision. In pediatrics, spinal anesthesia is primarily used for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
At RWJBarnabas Health, our expert team of double-board certified anesthesiologists and pediatric-certified operating room registered nurses are specially trained to care for children having spinal anesthesia.
Pediatric spinal anesthesia is currently available at The Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Advantages of Spinal Anesthesia
The advantages of spinal anesthesia over general anesthesia are:
- The child is not rendered unconscious but still does not feel anything from the waist down.
- During surgery, the child will not need a breathing tube inserted into the throat to help them breathe (intubation).
General anesthesia practice is still common, safe and effective. It is administered through gas or intravenously. Spinal anesthesia is another method that can be used in some circumstances that can offer an alternative solution.
What to Expect Before Surgery
Before surgery:
- Doctors will review the child’s medical history.
- Parents must stop giving the child formula 6 hours prior to arrival; breast milk may be given until 4 hours prior to arrival; clear liquids may be given until 2 hours prior to arrival.
- A numbing cream is rubbed onto the patient’s back.
- An anesthesiologist will inject medication into the child’s spinal fluid. This medication makes the patient completely numb from the belly button down.
- The medication takes effect quickly.
What to Expect During the Procedure
Children may be awake during a procedure done with spinal anesthesia, but often, children fall asleep naturally. Sedation lasts an average of 90 minutes.
During the surgery, a pediatric anesthesiologist monitors the child and is available if additional sedation is required. About 15 percent of the children who undergo spinal anesthesia end up still receiving general anesthesia due to complications.
What to Expect After Spinal Anesthesia
After surgery with spinal anesthesia, babies can nurse immediately in the recovery room.
Spinal Anesthesia Side Effects
The most common complication, which may happen about 10 to 15 percent of the time, is that the block fails to work, and then general anesthesia becomes necessary. Other very rare complications, which may happen less than 2 percent of the time, are a brief decrease of oxygen in the baby’s blood and heart rate (which is easily treated with no lasting consequences). Infection, bleeding and nerve injury are extremely rare.
Learn More
To learn more about spinal anesthesia and whether it is right for your child, consult a pediatric surgeon.
