Regional anesthesia

Regional anesthesia is an alternative to general anesthesia. A patient may sometimes choose a particular form of anesthesia, however for certain types of operations medical considerations alone are taken into account. Regional anesthesia is preferable in certain medical situations: respiratory deficiency, for elderly patients, or in cases of full-term pregnancy. There are a variety of regional anaesthesias: Spinal or epidural anesthesia which anesthetises the lower region of the body. Peripheral nerve block anesthesia. A nerve can be blocked at its trunk level, for example to anesthetise an entire leg. A nerve can also be blocked at the level of one of its roots to anesthetise a specific part of the leg.