These are two techniques used to eliminate pain during a surgical or obstetrical procedure.
They numb the part of the body that is being operated on:
- A spinal block consists of injecting a medication (local anesthetic) into the cerebrospinal fluid (spine) where the nerve roots are located. This involves the use of a needle that is then removed. In rare cases, a catheter (very small soft tube) is placed through the needle to allow additional doses of medication to be injected.
- Epidural anesthesia involves injecting a medication (local anesthetic) into the epidural space (spine) through a catheter that is left in place during the procedure.
Watch the video below for more information (FR):