Comparison of the Effects of General Anesthesia and Spinal Anesthesia on Quality of Life among Women Undergoing Elective Cesarean Section in Erbil City/Iraq

Background and Objective: Cesarean section (CS) is considered as a significant surgical intervention necessitating a high level of professional skill and a choice between general anesthesia (GA) and spinal anesthesia (SA). Anesthesia type can significantly influence postoperative recovery, patient satisfaction, and, ultimately, the quality of life. This article aims to compare the impacts of GA and SA on the quality of life among women who undergo elective C-sections. Methods: This study was carried comparatively on 200 Kurdish pregnant women who undergoing to have a cesarean section with a spinal anesthesia and general anesthesia preference to mothers or physician were included in a purposive sample was carried out in the operating theatre at Maternity Teaching Hospital from 25th January, 2022 to 18th December, 2022. The EuroQoL-5 Dimensions-3 Levels (EQ-5D-3L) self-administered questionnaire was used by the participants to measure their health at four different time points; two hours prior to cesarean birth, 24 hours following the procedure, one week, and one month thereafter. Results: At 24 hours, spinal anesthesia resulted in significantly better outcomes for mobility (70% vs. 44% no problems), self-care (8% vs. 11% no issues), and pain (83% vs. 75% moderate pain) (p< 0.05). After one week, the advantages of spinal anesthesia remained for self-care (78% vs. 44% no problems) and anxiety/depression (66% vs 47% not anxious) (p< 0.05). After one month post-delivery, health outcomes were similar between anesthesia methods. Conclusions: The study found that spinal anesthesia offers better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes than general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. As a result, spinal anesthesia is commonly preferred to as the anesthesia technique for cesarean delivery in many countries.