Lumbar Spine Surgeries Under Spinal Anesthesia in High-Risk Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine outcomes of spinal anesthesia (SA) in high-risk patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery in whom general anesthesia (GA) was contraindicated. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in Bansal Hospital, Bhopal, India. SA was achieved with a heavy spinal dose of bupivacaine administered in the sitting position. After assessing sensory level, patients were placed into prone position. Throughout surgery, hemodynamic parameters were monitored. At the end of surgery, patients were placed into supine position and taken out of the operating room for monitoring in the recovery room. Postoperatively, time spent in the postanesthesia care unit, hemodynamic changes, incidence of nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, spinal headache, analgesic use, regression of sensory block, and length of hospital stay were documented. Patient and surgeon satisfaction was also assessed. RESULTS: The study included 18 high-risk patients with lumbar spine disease. Twelve patients were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists IV, and 6 were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists III. Ten patients underwent microdiscectomy, and 8 patients underwent canal and lateral recess decompression. None of the patients had anesthetic or surgical complications. Postoperative pain relief was excellent. There were no incidences of postoperative vomiting or urinary retention. Only 2 patients (11.11%) developed nausea. Both surgeons and patients reported a high level of satisfaction. SA was 12% cheaper than general anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: SA is a safe, reliable, and satisfactory alternative to general anesthesia in high-risk lumbar spine surgeries. Postoperative morbidity and mortality can be reduced by SA and spinal analgesia techniques. SA allows good perioperative hemodynamic stability. It is also more cost-effective.