Anaesthesia & intensive care medicine
Volume 10, Issue 1 , Pages 18-21, January 2009

Anaesthesia for spinal surgery

Ian Crabb, MB BS, FRCA, is Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, UK. He qualified from London University and trained in anaesthesia in London and Australia. His interests include major trauma management and cardiovascular monitoring in intensive care. Conflicts of interests: none declared

Abstract 

Lumbar backache is one of the commonest causes of chronic debility in Western society, and surgery may be indicated for disc protrusion or degeneration, or to relieve nerve-root compression. Similar problems are also not uncommon in the cervical spine, and operative intervention is often necessary. Less commonly in the general population, surgery is undertaken as part of the management of rheumatoid disease, tuberculous spine, or to correct structural abnormalities. This article outlines the principles behind the anaesthetic management of patients presenting for the more common spinal procedures, with particular reference to the avoidance of neurological and other post-operative sequelae.

Keywords: neurological complications, spinal anaesthesia, surgery

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PII: S1472-0299(08)00280-4

doi:10.1016/j.mpaic.2008.11.003

Anaesthesia & intensive care medicine
Volume 10, Issue 1 , Pages 18-21, January 2009

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