Hemodynamic Stability in General Anesthesia Vs Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Section

Background & Objective: The use of anaesthetics has become a crucial aspect of clinical practice, particularly considering the increasing number of caesarean deliveries worldwide. The present study was conducted with aim to compare the effects of general and spinal anaesthesia on maternal and neonatal outcomes in term singleton pregnancies with elective caesarean section.Materials & Methods: This prospective and case-control study was conducted on 100 patients randomly allocated into two equal groups: general anaesthesia (n=50) and spinal anaesthesia (n=50). Hemodynamic variables of the mother were measured preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively, and neonatal outcome was assessed by the Apgar score.Results: In the general anaesthesia group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed only mild reductions after induction and during delivery, with values stabilising postoperatively. Meanwhile, heart rate transiently increased after induction before returning to baseline. In contrast, the spinal anaesthesia group demonstrated a more pronounced hypotensive response, with systolic and diastolic pressures reaching their lowest levels at delivery, followed by gradual postoperative recovery; heart rate also declined steadily after induction. The mean time between anaesthesia induction and baby extraction was 7.2±1.5 minutes, well within the safe range (5-10 minutes), supporting favourable maternal and neonatal outcomes. The median one-minute Apgar score was higher in the spinal anaesthesia group.Conclusion: In elective caesarean, maternal and neonatal outcomes are better with spinal anaesthesia. Nonetheless, both methods are still heavily used, dependent and clinically indicating dependent