Spinal anesthesia

Purpose of review The aim of this article is to review current practice of spinal anesthesia regarding technique and medication use; review recent applications of spinal anesthesia to subspecialty care in outpatient, cardiac, and obstetrical anesthesia; and update risk assessment associated with spinal anesthesia. Recent findings Epidural volume extension enhances the spread of local anesthetics using a combined spinal-epidural technique. Chloroprocaine has become the agent of choice at some institutions. The growth in both the number and complexity of ambulatory surgery procedures has redefined the role of spinal anesthesia for outpatients. The 27-gauge Whitacre spinal needle is associated with a lower incidence of post-dural puncture headaches. Retrospective reviews can predict the incidence of rare complications such as neurologic injury and cardiac arrest. Summary Innovations in technology, equipment, and needle design improved safety and decreased complication rates from spinal anesthesia. The increased popularity of ambulatory surgical procedures has resulted in more frequent use of spinal anesthesia. Intrathecal narcotic analgesia is used increasingly in fast-tracking cardiac surgical protocols. Modern anesthetic and analgesic techniques include resurgence of older agents (2-chloroprocaine) as well as new agents (levobupivacaine and ropivacaine) that are used in conjunction with adjuvant intrathecal medications (opioids, vasopressors, and alpha-2 adrenergic agonists). Surgical thromboprophylaxis and the increased use of anticoagulants in patients with cardiovascular disease have challenged anesthesiologists to update clinical guidelines to minimize the risk of hemorrhagic complications such as epidural hematoma. The risk/benefit ratio of spinal anesthesia should be individualized. The continued popularity of spinal anesthesia is due to the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of this technique.