What happens later at home?

A bandage is usually placed over the area on the back where the needle or tube was inserted. The bandage should be left on for at least 24 hours and the area should be undisturbed. Usually no other care is needed at home for the epidural anesthesia, but the person may need care because of the surgery.

What are the potential complications after the procedure?

The most feared complication of anesthesia is death. This occurs in roughly 1 out of every 10,000 people who have epidural anesthesia. It is not possible to predict who will have this type of severe reaction.

The most common problem after an epidural is a headache. This usually goes away within 24 hours and often responds to pain medication. Sometimes another injection in the back is needed to help the pain. Nausea is also fairly common in the first few hours after the procedure.

Blood pressure can drop very low during an epidural, but this usually doesn't cause problems. Allergic reactions, arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats, and seizures are rare complications of an epidural. Bleeding and infection can occur at the site of the needle injection. Other side effects may occur, depending on the medications used.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists recently issued a warning about the potential side effects and interactions of herbal remedies with medications used before, during, and after surgery. The group recommends discontinuing all herbal remedies and supplements at least two weeks before planned surgery.