Public hospital c-section using general anaestesia, not epidural??

[Shenzhennifer]

At my latest public check up today a nurse told me that the hospitals generally use general anaestesia instead of epidurals when performing c-sections. I am really shocked, and do not want to be put under when my baby is born. I thought this was only customary during emergencies.

Any experience with c-sections In public hospitals?

Yet again, I'm wishing I went private...

 

[carang]

don't think she works in the Delivery suites/ORs.....NOT my experience at all.

during my first EMERGENCY c-section, i had an epidural (wish i'd had GA, that was a MUCH better experience for me).

for my second, they went for GA because i was having hip/back issues and they thought an epidural or spinal would only aggravate that. also, the epi during my first deliver didn't "take" properly and it was an excruciating experience (for me, NOT the same for everyone!). it felt like they were trying to touch my belly button to the ceiling! as i said, for ME, the GA was MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better!

i don't know any other mums that had GA for a standard c-section. they all had epidurals.

 

[AmyH]

I had one in the prince of wales hospital in Shatin last year and it was a spinal block, but not planned. I had gone in to be induced and complications led to me having an emergency c-section.

I don't understand why they would want you to go under general anaesthetic as I was under the impression they were only done in extreme cases where time is a factor and they cannot wait for the spinal block to take effect.

I would try to get a second opinion there. Do you think there was maybe some language issues? On one of my final visits to the public hospital for a checkup the doctor and nurse had some issues reading some blood/urine test results and tried to admit me, claiming I had gestational diabetes. It was only after I questioned her that she re-read the results and they were normal!

Good luck.

 

[Liquorice]

I had a pre-op consultation with the anaesthetist at Prince Of Wales yesterday. The anaesthetist said they generally will do epidural or spinal block for c-sections. Basically, epidurals involve anaesthetic administered through a tube that remains in place so the anaesthetic can be topped up as an when necessary, whereas a spinal block is a one-off injection that lasts for about 4 hours. Thus, he said that epidurals are usually used when you don't know how long anaesthesia will be needed and/or you need to manage pain afterwards. Spinal blocks are commonly used for a planned c-section because it is straightforward, will be over within a set time frame typically and they prefer to not use anaesthetic for too long (i.e. topped up epidural) so that you can start moving your legs soon afterwards.

I did ask about general too, because I know some women on this forum have had it. He indicated that it wasn't commonly used.

Which hospital are you going to? While he was talking, the anaesthetist did keep saying 'In Hong Kong' rather than talking about the POW in particular, so sounded pretty standard procedure.

Wishing you went private? You and me both....