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Anyone deliver with spinal fusion/harrington rods?
Hello! we are 30 weeks pregnant, and i had harrington rods (spinal fusion from scoliosis) when i was a teenager.. I have talked to my dr and she talked to the anesthesiologist, they believe that they will be able to do an epidural even though my back is fused.. however when i read online, looks like some scarey stories about the epidural not working or them not getting the epidural in place...To complicate matters i'm also high risk due to being on blood thinners, so i will have to be induced. Originally i thought, i'll just try natural, but then if i needed a c section i would have to be under general anesthesia since they couldnt' do an epidural quickly with my back.. So they are recommending getting it early on. plus now they are thinking i might need a c section due to big baby/small pelvis... Anyone had experience or know anyone who has with something like this?? thanks so much for any and all info/advice! :)
thanks so much! i appreciate it! i mostly just hope that i can be awake to see my little one born.. the pain itself doenst worry me though.. but in the end, i just want us both to be safe! THannks for yalls responses!
Here's the link to those two new techniques, apparently they are brand new things.
http://www.health.am/gyneco/more/local-anesthetic-during-c-section/
http://www.health.am/gyneco/more/local-anesthetic-during-c-section/
Also, if you have a C/Section and have to have a general anesthetic, they will give you an IV pump where you automatically give yourself a preprogrammed dose of a narcotic, that keeps you fairly comfortable.
So try not to be too afraid. Congrats on the upcoming birth!
So try not to be too afraid. Congrats on the upcoming birth!
Marti is mostly right.
They usually will try the epidural, or a spinal if it turns out you have to have a planned C/Section.
Occasionally, you may find an anesthesiologist who will not attempt it. Most hospitals have rotating anesthesiologists, and you just have to take whomever is on call. However, you can request a formal anesthesia consult far ahead of time, with whomever is the head of the anesthesia dept (your OB can help facilitate this). It will help you immensely to have a consult such as this done, with a written note from him/her as to whether he/she thinks it could be attempted.
Usually, the only time you cannot absolutely even have it attempted, is if the rods are at the exact level or space they need to use for the epidural or spinal.
There is no solution of ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory agent that is used to irrigate the abdomen....none that I've ever heard of. Similarly, I've never seen nor heard of any injection that will provide any long lasting relief, unless Marti is talking about Duramorph, a long lasting form of morphine that is injected into the spinal or epidural space. But you'd have to actually have an epidural or spinal for that, so if a general had to be done without any spinal or epidural already in place, it can't be used.
They will take you off blood thinners a short while before your delivery. if you are unexpectedly on blood thinners and need to deliver urgently, usually this is not ideal and you would likely not have an epidural or spinal.
But take heart--in the patients I've seen with fusions or rods, #1--usually they do try a spinal or epidural, #2--it usually works well, and delivery is accomplished uneventfully.
Any epidural has the chance of not working well, that's just the luck of the draw. Most work fine.
You'll be taken off your blood thinner a day or two before, certain blood tests will be done just prior to being induced or delivered to be sure your blood clots properly, and things are usually just fine.
Good luck! Great question.
They usually will try the epidural, or a spinal if it turns out you have to have a planned C/Section.
Occasionally, you may find an anesthesiologist who will not attempt it. Most hospitals have rotating anesthesiologists, and you just have to take whomever is on call. However, you can request a formal anesthesia consult far ahead of time, with whomever is the head of the anesthesia dept (your OB can help facilitate this). It will help you immensely to have a consult such as this done, with a written note from him/her as to whether he/she thinks it could be attempted.
Usually, the only time you cannot absolutely even have it attempted, is if the rods are at the exact level or space they need to use for the epidural or spinal.
There is no solution of ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory agent that is used to irrigate the abdomen....none that I've ever heard of. Similarly, I've never seen nor heard of any injection that will provide any long lasting relief, unless Marti is talking about Duramorph, a long lasting form of morphine that is injected into the spinal or epidural space. But you'd have to actually have an epidural or spinal for that, so if a general had to be done without any spinal or epidural already in place, it can't be used.
They will take you off blood thinners a short while before your delivery. if you are unexpectedly on blood thinners and need to deliver urgently, usually this is not ideal and you would likely not have an epidural or spinal.
But take heart--in the patients I've seen with fusions or rods, #1--usually they do try a spinal or epidural, #2--it usually works well, and delivery is accomplished uneventfully.
Any epidural has the chance of not working well, that's just the luck of the draw. Most work fine.
You'll be taken off your blood thinner a day or two before, certain blood tests will be done just prior to being induced or delivered to be sure your blood clots properly, and things are usually just fine.
Good luck! Great question.
hi,
I have not had any spinal surgeries but I do have an L5 injury. I had a Csection with my first son and will have another with this baby. I'm 22w and my kids will be 15 1/2 months apart.
Depending on where your back is fused, they most likely will be able to give you a spinal or an epidural. If you have a Csection they will give you a spinal, they usually have several different vertibre spaces they can work with that will adequately numb you up.
There's also some new treatments they can do at the beginning of the csection to lessen your post op pain allowing you to need less pain meds, they can inject a nerve numbing medication into the nerves in your abdomen right before your incision,
OR they can irrigate your incision with a solution containing ibuprofen or another antiinflammatory.
I did not have any issues recovering from my csection, and I am not expected to have any problems this time even with another spinal.
The most you can do is at least have them TRY for a spinal/epidural. And the worst that can happen is it won't take and you'll require general. You need to make the decision along with your doctor on if you want a csection or a natural birth, because you might just want to go along with a csection,
A natural birth will put pressure on your L5 area and if you have any back issues there it can make it worse, that's why I will NOT attempt a natural birth among other reasons. If you have a csection and it's not an emergency where they have only minutes to get baby out, then you can speak with them well ahead of time and again in the operating room and tell them clearly
"I know the difference between Pulling/pressure and PAIN, MAKE SURE I'm fully numb before making your first incision, even if it means giving me a little more medication, or wiating a couple extra minutes to start the incision, so If I tell you I am still feeling things and feel pain you better put me out or retry the spinal."
Doctors tend to assume that what you feel is pressure, instead of pain and they tend to think that you'll equate pressure with pain so if you make sure they KNOW that you know the difference between the two, then that should help you have a little more comfort about the situation and the possibility of it not taking.
I have not had any spinal surgeries but I do have an L5 injury. I had a Csection with my first son and will have another with this baby. I'm 22w and my kids will be 15 1/2 months apart.
Depending on where your back is fused, they most likely will be able to give you a spinal or an epidural. If you have a Csection they will give you a spinal, they usually have several different vertibre spaces they can work with that will adequately numb you up.
There's also some new treatments they can do at the beginning of the csection to lessen your post op pain allowing you to need less pain meds, they can inject a nerve numbing medication into the nerves in your abdomen right before your incision,
OR they can irrigate your incision with a solution containing ibuprofen or another antiinflammatory.
I did not have any issues recovering from my csection, and I am not expected to have any problems this time even with another spinal.
The most you can do is at least have them TRY for a spinal/epidural. And the worst that can happen is it won't take and you'll require general. You need to make the decision along with your doctor on if you want a csection or a natural birth, because you might just want to go along with a csection,
A natural birth will put pressure on your L5 area and if you have any back issues there it can make it worse, that's why I will NOT attempt a natural birth among other reasons. If you have a csection and it's not an emergency where they have only minutes to get baby out, then you can speak with them well ahead of time and again in the operating room and tell them clearly
"I know the difference between Pulling/pressure and PAIN, MAKE SURE I'm fully numb before making your first incision, even if it means giving me a little more medication, or wiating a couple extra minutes to start the incision, so If I tell you I am still feeling things and feel pain you better put me out or retry the spinal."
Doctors tend to assume that what you feel is pressure, instead of pain and they tend to think that you'll equate pressure with pain so if you make sure they KNOW that you know the difference between the two, then that should help you have a little more comfort about the situation and the possibility of it not taking.
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