How long after epidural anesthesia before you can feel your legs? im having surgery in a few weeks and the doctor wants to use an epidural for anesthesia. he explained that i wont be able to feel my legs for a while after, but wasnt too clear on how lo

Good : Good question. Local anesthetics come in different durations. Your anesthesiologist will decide, based on the type and length of surgery which one they will use. This choice of local anesthetic, the amount used and the timing of it will determine how long after your surgery you should expect to be "numb". On average you should expect anywhere from 1-3 hours of diminishing numbness after surgery. The only thing that may change this is if it is decided to use the epidural for pain control after surgery and you will be staying in the hospital overnight. Just remember, when the epidural wears off, you pain will start. Hope that was helpful? Thanks for your question.

Within hours: Depending on the surgical procedure, the local anesthetic used, and whether the epidural is continuous or not, the epidural will usually wear off within 1-3 hours after cessation of the infusion. However, if you are having knee replacement surgery, longer acting local anesthetics or continuous infusions may be used, in which case it may take much longer. However, the longer it lasts the less pain.

Yes: Depending on the choice of local anesthetic used in the epidural you should regain sensation and function if your legs several hours after surgery.

It depends on the: Choice of local anesthetic. Some can be metabolized quickly, others take longer. Also, will you be using your epidural for post op pain control? That would lengthen the duration of the numbness. Ask your anesthesiologist what to expect on the day of surgery.

Varies by local: Local anesthetics can wear off anywhere from 30 mins to several hours depending on the agent used. Please talk to you anesthesiologist before the operation to discuss this.