Ultrasound for Neuraxial Anesthesia
Ultrasound for Neuraxial Anesthesia
The patients will be allocated to 2 groups: the ultrasound group and the palpation group.
 Ultrasound detection of the puncture site will be performed to the patients of the one group
 (group U). The puncture site will be determined by palpation of the landmarks at the patients
 of the other group (group L). The main purpose of the study is to determine if the ultrasound
 scan of the lumbar spine can facilitate spinal, epidural and combined spinal-epidural
 anesthesia, increase the success and decrease the complication rate of these techniques. The
 secondary purpose of the study is to evaluate if the lumbar ultrasound scan can be used to
 determine accurately the depth of the epidural space.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Surgery under spinal, epidural or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia.

 -  Surgery under general anesthesia and preoperative placement of epidural catheter for
 postoperative analgesia.

 -  ASA 1-3.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  History of lumbar spinal surgery.

 -  Low back pain at the time of anesthesia