What are the advantages of regional anesthesia?

What are the advantages of regional anesthesia?

Samuel Seelig (Anesthesiologist, Los Angeles, California) gives expert video advice on: When is local anesthesia most often used? and more...

The advantages of regional anaesthesia are first and foremost the lack of manipulation of the patient's airway. If you can provide analgesia or anaesthesia to a limb or to the lower torso, you can allow the patient to breathe spontaneously and have a patient airway in that manner. The patient can still be sedated and/or asleep, but you do not have to place any device in the windpipe or in the upper airway. Specifically, the greatest advantage of regional anaesthesia is in the laboring mother. She can be made comfortable during her entire labor so that she can enjoy the labor and communicate with her family. It is also safe for the baby.