Amman: Jordan University Hospital (JUH) has added spinal anesthesia to its complex spinal surgeries, a method traditionally used for simpler and quicker procedures.
According to Jordan News Agency, a patient in his sixties, suffering from heart and respiratory weakness and morbid obesity, recently underwent this type of surgery as general anesthesia posed a significant risk to his life. The teaching hospital released a statement on Monday detailing the procedure.
Dr. Tariq Kanaan, Head of the Spinal Unit at the hospital, noted that the patient underwent a lumbar canal decompression procedure. The surgery was completely successful, and the patient was able to walk immediately after the spinal anesthesia wore off. He was subsequently discharged from the hospital the day after the surgery in good health.
Dr. Ahmed Shaheen, head of the anesthesia team overseeing the procedure, highlighted that while spinal anesthesia is not new in the field, its use in spinal surgeries is becoming more common. "It requires close communication between the anesthesia, intensive care, and surgical teams, as well as appropriate patient selection and the suitable procedure for this type of anesthesia," he explained. He also emphasized the importance of close post-operative monitoring due to the potential overlap between the effects of spinal anesthesia and the surgical procedures themselves.
The patient remained awake throughout the surgery, although some patients request sedation in addition to spinal anesthesia. Spinal anesthesia is part of the enhanced post-operative recovery protocol, aimed at reducing the patient's hospital stay and facilitating fast awakening after surgery.