Does Leg Raising Prevent Spinal-Induced Hypotension in Elective Cesarean Sections? A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the leg raising (LR) method in preventing spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in elective cesarean section (C/S) operations. Methods: One hundred and forty term pregnant women were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as leg raising group (Group L, n=70) and the control group (Group C, n=70). After spinal anesthesia, a cushion was placed under the heels of the patients in Group L at an angle of 30 degrees with the horizontal plane. No intervention was made in Group C. The patients’ hemodynamic and operation data were recorded at determined intervals. Results: In Group L, hypotension was observed in 29 (41.4%) patients while 54 (77.1%) patients developed hypotension in Group C (p<0.001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values at the 2nd and 3rd minutes after spinal anesthesia were found to be higher in Group L (p<0.05). Furthermore, compared to Group C, the amount of ephedrine used in Group L was found to be lower (9.9±14.2 mg vs. 15.9±11.9 mg, p=0.007). Conclusion: The LR method applied in C/S operations reduces spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension and thus causes the need for less vasopressor. Keywords: Cesarean section, spinal anesthesia, leg raising, hypotension