Spinal anesthesia has a rapid onset and requires small doses of local anesthetic to provide reliable surgical anesthesia and good muscular relaxation but the disadvantages are the unpredictability of upper level of block, precipitous hypotension,
inability to extend the block, and the risk of postdural puncture headache.
A combined spinal-epidural (CSE) technique can be used to reduce or eliminate some of the disadvantages of spinal and epidural anesthesia while preserving their activity. A combined spinalepidural block may combine the reliability of spinal block
and
the flexibility of epidural block while minimizing their drawbacks.
CSE anesthesia was performed in the 19 patients scheduled for elective total knee arthroplasty. At first 17 G Tuohy needle was inserted L2-3 interspace, the epidual space would be identified, and then a long 22 G spinal needle was introduced
through the
Tuohy needle until the tip of the spinal needle would penetrate the dura. The correct placement of the spinal needle was confirmed by the appearence of cerebrospinal fluid at the head of needle, then 0.5% hyperbaric tetracaine 1.3-2 ml( was
injected
into subarachnoid space. The spinal needle was withdrawn and a 18 G epidural catheter was introduced into the epidural space. If the patients complained pain during operation, 5 ml of 2% lidocaine was injected through epidural catheter, 2.5 mg
Morphine
was injected into epidural space for postoperative pain control after operation. Operations were well performed under CSE anesthesia and postoperative pain controls were well managed, too. The responses of the patients who has experienced SCE
anesthesia
were mostly good (Korean J Anesthesiol 1995; 29: 140~144)
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