Please note: These questions and answers are by their nature quite general. We are afraid that the OAA cannot enter into discussions about nor answer enquiries about specific cases. If you have any questions, comments or complaints about your own care, you should take this up with the unit responsible. Please note that all hospitals have a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) who can help you if you are unsure how to go about this.
General anaesthetic
A general anaesthetic is where you are unconscious and do not feel anything during the procedure.
Most caesarean births are done with you awake but under regional anaesthesia.
A general anaesthetic means giving you medicines to make you sleep (unconscious). This means you are not awake and do not feel pain during the operation.
Some people choose to have a general anaesthetic. Or, you may need one if:
- You need a caesarean very urgently and there is no time for a spinal or epidural anaesthetic to work.
- You have certain conditions when the blood doesn't clot properly. This may make it unsafe to have a spinal or epidural anaesthetic.
- Abnormalities in your back may make regional anaesthetic difficult or impossible.
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Occasionally, a spinal or epidural anaesthetic can't be put in the right place, or doesn't work properly.
You will have a needle called a cannula placed in your arm.
You may be given an antacid medicine. This is to prevent acid in your stomach from passing to your lungs when you are asleep.
In the operating theatre, you will be given oxygen through a facemask. You will have a urinary catheter (tube) placed in your bladder.
The obstetricians will clean your tummy. This is so they can deliver your baby as soon as you are asleep. The anaesthetic doctor will give medicine in your cannula that slowly sends you to sleep.
As you fall asleep, you may feel pressure on your neck. This is to avoid any acid in your stomach going into your airway.
Once asleep, the obstetricians will deliver your baby and placenta. You will be given painkillers while you are asleep. You may also be given local anaesthetic injections into your tummy to help with pain relief.
Once the operation is complete, you will be woken up.
Your birth partner will not be able to be with you during the operation, but they will be nearby. The team will update them once your baby is born. They can join you in the recovery area when you are awake.
A member of the neonatal team will be present at birth. The midwife will dry your baby and check them over. If your baby is well, they will be looked after by your midwife until you are awake. Sometimes, babies may need some extra support with their breathing. If that is the case, they will be looked after by the neonatal team.
When you wake up, you may feel quite sleepy. Some pain after the operation is normal. You may feel sickly. Painkillers and anti-sickness medication will be available if you need them.
In the United Kingdom, around 15,000 patients have a caesarean birth under general anaesthesia each year. The majority of these are very straightforward. However, there are some risks and side effects of general anaesthetics. These are shown below.
Out of every 100
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