Modern anaesthesiology practice offers a wide range of options to ensure maximum safety and comfort for both the mother and the fetus.
For normal delivery, the gold standard for pain relief is epidural analgesia. This method involves the placement of a thin catheter in the epidural space, through which pain relief is achieved - by infusion of a local anaesthetic and/or analgesic.
For operative delivery, general anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia, and combined spinal and epidural anaesthesia may also be used.
With general anaesthesia, the patient's consciousness and pain sensations are reversibly eliminated for the duration of the surgical procedure. It is possible to place an epidural catheter for post-operative pain relief, or to use standard post-operative pain management.
Spinal anaesthesia is the preferred method for operative delivery worldwide. With this type of anaesthesia, local anaesthetics are injected into the spinal space of the patient.
It is also possible to combine spinal anaesthesia with epidural catheter pain relief for the post-operative period. You can read more about the types of anaesthesia and pain relief in our article Pain Relief During Labour at VITA Hospital.
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