The Pros and Cons of Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia in Obstetrics

There's pros and cons to both spinals and epidurals. For this reason we tailor them or use them for different obstetric needs. Epidurals can provide analgesia over a long period of time while women are laboring. Spinals have a very fast onset and produce a very dense and reliable block. This makes them ideal for use during Caesarean sections. They're also much safer performed in an operating data environment where we can A monitor more closely and B give vasopressin agents such as metaraminol or phenylaphragm.