Pain Relief for Surgery

If you need a caesarean section, the epidural is often used instead of a general anaesthetic. A strong local anaesthetic is injected into your epidural catheter to make the lower half of your body very numb for the operation. This is safer for you and the baby than having a general anaesthetic. If you need a caesarean section but you do not already have an epidural, a spinal anaesthetic will often be used.