What are the risks to me?

We are very proud of providing safe anesthesia to many thousands of women at Sparrow Hospital. Like any procedure, though, epidural anesthesia has some risks:

1. Your blood pressure may become lower from the epidural. The nurse will check your blood pressure often, and plenty of IV fluids will be given to help maintain normal blood pressure. You should lie on your side to keep your baby from compressing the large blood vessels in your abdomen; this will help to maintain a normal blood pressure.
2. The needle or catheter may go into one of the many blood vessels in the epidural space. While rare, if this happens, the anesthesiologist may have to reinsert the catheter.
3. In approximately 1 percent of epidural and spinal anesthetics, the needle may cause a spinal fluid ‘leak’ leading to a headache. In most cases, the headaches will go away by themselves; sometimes another procedure may be necessary to eliminate them.
4. Occasionally, a sensation of numbness or tingling may last for a few days or weeks after vaginal delivery even if epidural anesthesia was not given. Sensation usually will return to normal with no treatment necessary.