Reconsidering Anesthesia in Lumbar Surgery: An Umbrella Review of Awake Versus General Anesthesia.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Lumbar degenerative disease drives numerous elective spine surgeries, and anesthetic choice significantly influences airway risk, hemodynamics, analgesia, mobilization, and recovery. Interest in awake lumbar surgery, typically using spinal anesthesia (SA) with light sedation, has grown as comparative studies suggest comparable safety to general anesthesia (GA) with potential reductions in opioid use, nausea, time to ambulation, and efficiency metrics. However, these benefits may be context-dependent under standardized perioperative care. Therefore, the aim of this umbrella review is to synthesize previously published meta-analyses that compare postoperative outcomes between SA and GA in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. Methods: A systematic lit

SUBMITTER: Ononogbu-Uche FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12693170 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature