The difference between spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia What is the difference between spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia

Both spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia are intraspinal anesthesia, but there are many differences between the two.

1. The puncture site

Epidural puncture can almost cover the entire spine: the lumbar spine is the most, mainly for the lower abdomen and lower limbs; the thoracic spine is second, mainly the chest, upper abdomen and general anesthesia; the cervical spine is almost not because the risk is too high. For spinal anesthesia, the main puncture point is the lumbar spine 2-3 or 3-4 to ensure that the spinal cord will not be punctured.

2. Puncture level

Epidural puncture: skin-subcutaneous-supraspinal ligament-interspinous ligament-ligamentum flavum-epidural space

Spinal anesthesia: skin-subcutaneous-supraspinous ligament-interspinous ligament-ligamentum flavum-epidural space-dura mater-arachnoid-subarachnoid space

3. Mechanism of action

Epidural anesthesia injects a liquid into the epidural space (a potential space between the dura mater and the ligamentum flavum), and diffused local anesthetic anesthetizes the nerve roots that penetrate the intervertebral foramen.

Spinal anesthesia is the injection of local anesthetics into the subarachnoid space (the solid space between the arachnoid and pia mater and filled with cerebrospinal fluid) through the lumbar intervertebral space to block the nerve roots at this site

4. Dosage

The amount of epidural medication is 5-10 times larger than that during spinal anesthesia

5. Action time

Spinal anesthesia takes effect quickly and can achieve satisfactory results in about 5 minutes; epidural anesthesia takes effect slowly, about 15 minutes.

6. Duration

Spinal anesthesia lasts for a short time, usually 2-3 hours; epidural anesthesia can be maintained for a long time due to intubation.

7. Scope of application

Vertebral body

Spinal anesthesia: surgery on the lower abdomen and both lower limbs.

Epidural anesthesia: including the chest, upper abdomen, lower abdomen and both lower limbs.

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