Complications of spinal anaesthesia

A controlled investigation was undertaken in which standardised spinal anaesthesia was administered to 158 consecutive patients aged over 50 years who were admitted for elective transurethral intervention. These patients were subdivided into three groups. A total of 112 patients were selected at random to either remain lying flat in bed for 24 hours or be mobilized. According to the surgeon's wishes, the remainder remained in bed for 24 hours postoperatively. No differences were observed between the groups as regards preoperative status or discomfort two weeks after the anaesthesia. Spinal headache occurred with the same frequencies in the groups and no connection was observed between the duration of postoperative rest in bed and the frequency of spinal headache. Uncharacteristic headache, lumbar pain, paraesthesia in the lower limbs, disturbances of vision and buzzing in the ears occured with frequencies similar to those after general anaesthesia. Patients who were predisposed to headache, lumbar pain and visual disturbances frequently experienced aggravation of the preoperative symptoms. All of the newly developed symptoms were transient and, apart from spinal headache, none of the symptoms could be attributed with certainty to the anaesthesia.