Spinal anesthesia (SA) is frequently used in anesthesia procedures. Spinal anesthesia is typically highly successful, however, failure can occur in 1%-17% of cases (Fuzier R. Spinal Anesthesia Failure, RAPM 2011). Many factors may influence the failure rate of spinal anesthesia, such as the age of the patient, the position at which the procedure is performed, or the technical aspects of the spinal anesthesia procedure.

In this video, Dr. Hadzic explains some common causes why spinal anesthesia fails and teaches simple, but highly effective methods to decrease the risk of failure. Check out our latest Crash Course below and do not forget to subscribe to NYSORA’s YouTube channel for weekly updates!