0.5% Marcaine^® (0.5% Bupivacaine) Spinal Anesthesia for Lower Extremity Surgery

Abstract

The effects of spinal anesthesia with 0.5% Marcaine^® (0.5% bupivacaine) was studied in 107 lower extremity surgeries. In Marcaine spinal anesthesia group, other anesthetic agents and vasopressors were not significantly less often used than in Carbocaine^® (mepivacaine) epidural anesthesia group. In hip, lower leg and foot surgeries, analgesic duration was significantly longer in the former group than in the latter group. Cephalad spread was greater in the latter group than in the former group. We conclude that 0.5% Marcaine spinal anesthesia is as safe and useful for the lower extremity surgery as Carbocaine epidural anesthesia, especially for elderly and hip surgery.