Local anaesthetic during a caesarean reduces need for painkillers
10 July 2009
The period immediately after delivery is a significant milestone in the reproductive life of a new mother, and any measure to reduce the unpleasant experience of pain cannot be underestimated 
Dr Anthony Bamigboye, University of Witwatersrand, lead scientist
Having a local anaesthetic during a caesarean, in addition to general or regional anaesthesia, helps manage pain and can reduce how many painkillers you need after the operation, according to a new Cochrane review.
The review, carried out by scientists at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, combined the results of 20 studies into the effects of local anaesthetic on pain relief after a caesarean. Altogether, the studies looked at 1,150 women who gave birth by caesarean delivery.
Caesareans are done under regional or general anaesthesia. General anaesthesia means that you will be asleep during the operation. Regional anaesthetic completely blocks feeling from your waist down, but you will stay awake during the operation.
A local anaesthetic can be used during a caesarean, in addition to regional or general anaesthesia. It can be injected into your abdominal (tummy) wall before your skin is cut or after the cut is closed at the end of the operation (abdominal nerve block), or it can be applied directly to the wound (wound infiltration).
The review found that women having a caesarean under regional anaesthesia with local anaesthetic wound infiltration or abdominal nerve block needed fewer painkillers after the operation.
Women having a general anaesthetic and wound infiltration with local anaesthetic needed fewer painkillers during the first 24 hours after the operation. Those who had general anaesthesia and abdominal nerve block had less pain within the first 24 hours.
The scientists concluded that local anaesthesia infiltration or abdominal nerve block, in addition to regional or general anaesthesia, helps to reduce pain after a caesarean.
"It is inevitable to advise physicians performing caesarean sections to use local anaesthetics in addition to pain relief." Dr Anthony Bamigboye, lead author of the review, told the Bupa health information team.
"The period immediately after delivery is a significant milestone in the reproductive life of a new mother, and any measure to reduce the unpleasant experience of pain cannot be underestimated." he said.
Improvements in pain relief can make the time after a caesarean less uncomfortable, allowing mothers to start breastfeeding and bonding with their baby as soon as possible.
| Key facts |
|---|
|
Related information
Back to the latest health news
