title: Anaesthesia Techniques for Caesarean Operations: Retrospective Analysis of Last Decade.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The technique of anaesthesia in caesarean sections is selected according to the patient's clinical presentation, experience of the anaesthesist and the patient's wishes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anaesthesia methods employed in our clinic in the last decade (2003-2012).
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of caesarean operations performed between 2003-2012 in the Anaesthesia department of Atatürk University Medical Faculty and stored in the hospital computer system were examined. The annual distribution of methods of anaesthesia in operations was analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 2003-2012, 9049 caesarean operations were performed in our clinic. General anaesthesia was used in 45% of operations and regional anaesthesia in 54%. Whereas the rate of regional anaesthesia in 2003 was 34%, this increased to 69% in 2012. The most commonly used method of regional anaesthesia was spinal anaesthesia (34%) in 2003, and spinal anaesthesia (41%) and combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia (27%) in 2012.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most commonly used anaesthesia technique for caesarean operations in our clinic between 2003-2012 was spinal anaesthesia. The most widely used regional anaesthetic method in our clinic was spinal anaesthesia. A significant increase in the use of the combined spinal-epidural anaesthetic technique occurred in the last two years of the study period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nenehatun Maternity Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe Nur
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşenur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dostbil
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mine Gürsaç
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Çelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahıskalıoğlu
keywords: Caesarean section; anaesthetic techniques; general anaesthesia; regional anaesthesia; retrospective evaluation