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Epidural anesthesia is regional anesthesia and is often used during childbirth and surgical procedures performed below the ribcage. While generally safe and effective, complications of epidural anesthesia can be serious and even life threatening.

It is advisable you contact a specialized lawyer, attorney or solicitor for legal representation as your own particular circumstances are crucial to whether the case is actually worthwhile proceeding with.  Some lawyers will represent you for no win -  no fee, and mostly that will depend on the strength of your case.  You definitely need to be aware of and consider costs that may be involved as sometimes these can be substantial if you lose.  If you feel you have been a victim of negligence and suffered significantly because of that, you should talk to a couple of attorneys to decide the right course of action for you.   Some attorneys who specialize in medical negligence are listed in this site.

 Epidural anesthesia, like any medical procedure is not without risks and complications can happen to anyone.  The question of whether the anesthesiogist was actually at fault is not always clear and should be discussed with a legal professional if you are keen to go down that path.  Remember also that there can be tremendous emotional stress involved in litigation and this needs to be considered.

Anesthetic drugs are administered through a needle or other tube that is inserted into the spinal column. The needle is inserted so that it punctures the spinal column and comes to rest in the epidural space, just outside of the sac that contains the spinal cord. The drugs are dispensed into the epidural space where they act to block the sensation of pain. For this reason, epidural anesthesia is also known as an epidural block.

Doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are taught to use the "Four Ps" when performing epidural anesthesia:

Preparation

The proper needle must be selected. Some needles are designed to administer one dose of anesthetics, others deliver a continuous flow of medication.

Position

For adults, the prone position (on stomach) is typically used. In addition, a pillow may be placed under the belly to assist the procedure.

Projection & Puncture

The doctor or other healthcare professional must decide where to insert the needle. Once inserted, the healthcare professional must carefully advance the needle until it enters the epidural space. If the needle is inserted too far, it may puncture the sac encasing the spinal cord.

Serious complications associated with epidural anesthesia include:

- discomfort due to inadequate dosage of anesthetic,
- allergic reactions to the anesthetic, which can lead to nausea, vomiting and fever,
- nerve damage (paralysis) caused by negligent advancement of the needle (subarachnoid puncture or hematoma induced nerve injury) or through a toxic reaction to the anesthetic,
- breathing difficulties,
- seizures,
- cardiac arrest,
- dizziness,
- loss of consciousness,
- death.

If you have suffered severe injury due to negligent administration of epidural anesthesia, it may be important to contact an attorney who can help you protect your legal rights. Please keep in mind that there may be time limits within which you must commence suit.

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