Re: PREGNANCY: Is regional anesthesia safe during the first trimester?
From: William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 29 May 2008 13:38:25 -0500 (CDT)
KC
We always attempt to pospone surgeries during pregnancy until the second
trimester. It is safer for the baby regardless of the mode of
anesthesia...Dr. von Almen
At Thu, 29 May 2008, KCAllen wrote:
>
>I have been treated for awful pain in my sacrum for the last year. A
>recent CT Scan showed a 5 cm diameter teratoma on my left ovary
>containing fatty tissues, teeth and other structures. It is positioned
>so that it pulls my ovary backwards toward my spine, which makes perfect
>sense to my pain. The CT Scan also revealed an abnormal coccyx angled
>at 90 degrees, so basically it is shaped like an "L" pointed toward my
>pubic bone. I honestly do not feel that is the source of my pain. After
>being on narcotics for about a year, they scheduled me to have an
>injection into the ganglion of nerves near the coccyx and also scheduled
>me to have the mass removed. To my surprise 2 weeks beforehand I got a
>positive pregnancy test. Now I am left to deal with a prescription of 3
>Percocets a day which don't even touch the pain. My OBGYN tells me
>surgery before 12 weeks may be harmful to the embryo ,but it's a
>"possibility" to remove it after in 12 weeks. I can't bear another day
>let alone 6+ more weeks of this pain. Can anyone tell me if regional
>anesthesia such as an epidural would be safe at this stage of pregnancy
>compared to the narcotics and stress of the pain?
--
Note: Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes
only and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient
relationship. This information is not intended to supplant
the need for you to consult with your physician prior to
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** Private emails cannot be entertained due to time
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William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG
Private Practice
New Orleans, La.
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