First, regional anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia for cesarean section if at all possible. Regional anesthesia takes slightly longer to perform than general anesthesia. Therefore, if it is an absolute emergency that requires surgery "right now", then general anesthesia would be chosen. There are also some conditions that make regional anesthesia a poor choice where general anesthesia would be performed. Some examples of this are such things as bleeding problems, infection of the skin on the back, etc. However, if we can do regional anesthesia it is preferred.

The reason for this is that general anesthesia carries with it the risk of aspiration and the risk of failed intubation - both of which can lead to death. Aspiration basically means that stomach contents end up in the lungs because the patient is too sedated or unconscious and cannot prevent it. This can result in a serious pneumonia. Intubation refers to the process by which, once you are under general anesthesia, a breathing tube is placed. Depending on the patient, this can be easy or difficult. Sometimes, this tube cannot be placed - a potentially life threatening situation if you've already been made unconscious! So, again, regional anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia whenever possible.

The second general principle is that the most common complications associated with regional anesthesia are not dangerous or life threatening and can usually be treated easily. The serious, life threatening complications are (luckily) very, very rare.

Now on to the specific complications:

Common complications include headache, itching, nausea, vomiting, inability to urinate afterwards, lowered blood pressure, and slight backache. Again, although many of these can be quite annoying, none are life threatening and they can almost always be easily treated.

More serious complications include nerve injury, allergic reactions, and other problems potentially leading to death. Any time you perform a procedure, give medications that a patient does not normally receive, place needles in people, and so on, there is a possibility that something unexpected and unusual can occur. Your anesthesia providers are trained and constantly "on the lookout" for these problems. Although these problems present more of a threat to your health, there are treatments for them as well should they occur.

As always, I suggest that if you have specific concerns or questions that you talk to your anesthesia provider and that you receive answers that are specific to you, your medical condition and your situation.