We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
ARAB HEALTH - INFORMA

Download Mobile App




Spinal Anesthesia Superior for Egg Retrieval

By HospiMedica staff writers
Posted on 19 Oct 2000
Print article
Women who had spinal anesthesia (SA) for egg retrieval for in vitro fertilization (IVF) had a significantly higher overall pregnancy rate (50%) than those who opted for general anesthesia (GA, 33%), a study has found. The study was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The differences in pregnancy rates could be related to the different ways the two types of anesthesia affect the body, said anesthesiologist Bobbie Jean Sweitzer at the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting. Some laboratory studies suggest the anesthetic agents used for GA can affect an egg's ability to be fertilized in vitro. In addition, GA enters the bloodstream quickly, reaching the brain and the ovaries within about 10 minutes. In contrast, SA enters the blood stream very slowly, a smaller amount of drug is used, and the medication stays in the spinal region for a relatively long time. "By the time the drug enters the bloodstream, the oocytes have been retrieved,” said Dr. Sweitzer.

SA also helps surgeons, according to Dr. Sweitzer, because oocyte retrieval is an extremely delicate procedure that places an ultra-fine needle into a follicle to retrieve a microscopic egg. "Some patients may move slightly under GA, and even tiny movements can make it harder to retrieve the eggs.” In contrast, SA temporarily immobilizes patients from the waist down.
Gold Member
Real-Time Diagnostics Onscreen Viewer
GEMweb Live
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
New
Digital Radiography System
DigiEye 330
New
Surgeon Stool
MR4504

Print article

Channels

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable biosensor platform uses printed electrochemical sensors for the rapid, selective detection of Staphylococcus aureus (Photo courtesy of AIMPLAS)

Portable Biosensor Platform to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections

Approximately 4 million patients in the European Union acquire healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections each year, with around 37,000 deaths directly resulting from these infections,... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The acoustic pipette uses sound waves to test for biomarkers in blood (Photo courtesy of Patrick Campbell/CU Boulder)

Handheld, Sound-Based Diagnostic System Delivers Bedside Blood Test Results in An Hour

Patients who go to a doctor for a blood test often have to contend with a needle and syringe, followed by a long wait—sometimes hours or even days—for lab results. Scientists have been working hard to... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.