[Experience with spinal anesthesia using pethidine in the surgery of vesicovaginal fistula in African women (30 cases)].

We report our experience of spinal anesthesia using pethidine at doses of 1 ml/5 kg applied to the surgery of the vesico-vaginal fistulas in the african woman. The sensitive block lasts 80.5 +/- 15.5 min. at its maximal block stage and its recovery lasts 25.6 +/- 12.6 min. The complete block of the motor nerves, obtained in 83.3% of cases, lasts 60.5 +/- 12.4 min. The hemodynamic tolerance has always proved to be excellent. The only noticeable after effect is pruritus (13.3% of cases). This kind of anesthesia of still unknown mode of action (local anesthetic action or/and action on the morphinic receptors) seems to be a valuable alternative both to the expensive general anesthesia and to the spinal anesthesia performed with the standard local anesthetics which are allergenic and toxic . Its very low cost must be a good reason for an infra-umbilical surgery in the African countries.