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Patient Education: Diseases Conditions Treatments & Procedures

Epidural

Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia

We offer patient controlled epidural analgesia for pain relief in labour. After the first dose of the epidural or combined spinal-epidural (CSE) has started to work, the patient is able to give herself small extra doses of pain medicine using a special computerized pump. This type of maintenance is used most often for long labours and has the advantage of allowing patients to match the amount of medicine they receive to the amount of pain they experience. Your anesthesiologist and nurse can fully explain the procedure to you if you wish this form of pain relief.

See also: epidural side effects and complications.

For more information about epidural analgesia for labour, please see the Division of Obstetrical Anesthesia.