Awake lumbar spine surgery performed under spinal versus conventional anesthesia

Background: Lumbar spine surgery for discectomy or laminectomy is mostly performed under general anesthesia (GA). Here, we explored whether, in a series of 84 patients, better peri-operative outcomes and lower complication rates could be achieved for those undergoing diskectomy/laminectomy under spinal anesthesia (SA) versus GA. Methods: From 2022 to 2023, 84 patients were randomly assigned to undergo lumbar discectomy/laminectomy for stenosis under SA: 42 patients versus GAGA: 42 patients. For these two populations, we analyzed and compared multiple variables, including duration of anesthesia, estimated blood loss (EBL), and outcomes (i.e., including pre/post-operative Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry disability index, and short-form 36 questionnaires). Results: Major advantages of SA versus GA included a reduced mean EBL, shorter mean operative time, reduced mean hospital length of stay, and fewer post-operative side effects. Notably, baseline heart rate or mean arterial blood pressure showed no significant differences between SA and GA groups. Conclusion: Based on this small preliminary sample of patients undergoing lumbar disc/stenosis surgery, it appeared that SA reduced the mean EBL, offered shorter mean operative times, mean hospital lengths of stay, and fewer post-operative side effects versus GA.