Why is my doctor giving me a spinal block/epidural when i'm having foot surgery? is that normal?

There are : Different forms of anesthesia one can receive when getting foot surgery, it can range from local anesthesia, local with sedation, spinal, general. Sometimes, it depends on which foot procedure is being performed. Feel free to question the choice and ask why spinal versus something like local with sedation.

Spinal for foot: Epidural regional block and spinal anesthesia can be performed for foot surgery. The technique is different. It is either one of another. Usually the combined technique is used for c-section in which spinal is used for the anesthesia during the surgery, and the epidural is used for the pain control after the surgery.

Depending on: The type of surgery on the foot, you could have a spinal, epidural, nerve block, or general anesthesia. Sometimes, more than one modality is employed, such as when a nerve block is placed for post op pain relief and then the patient is put to sleep. Your anesthesiologist will help you decide the best approach with deference to your medical needs, preference and his skill set.