The effect of maternal abdominal circumference measurement on spinal anesthesia block level in cesarean sections

Abstract

This prospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal abdominal circumference on the characteristics of sensory block of spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing cesarean delivery. A total of 107 parturients aged ≥18 years with a gestational age of ≥38 weeks who underwent cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were enrolled. Preoperative assessments included measurements of height, body weight, abdominal circumference, and body mass index (BMI), which were recorded for each patient. The time required to achieve sensory block at T4 and T10 dermatomal level, the highest dermatome level attained, the time to regression of sensory block to the T10 dermatome, operation duration, and intraoperative mean arterial pressure and heart rate were documented. The mean age of the patients was 29.11 ± 4.69 years and the mean gestational age was 38 weeks + 5 days. The mean abdominal circumference was 110.67 ± 10.32 cm. A strong statistically significant negative correlation was observed between body weight, BMI, abdominal circumference, and the time required to reach the T4 sensory block level (p < 0.001). Similarly, significant correlations were identified between these anthropometric parameters and both the maximum dermatome level achieved and the time required for regression of sensory block to the T10 dermatome (p < 0.001). The findings of this study demonstrate that preoperative abdominal circumference measurement in parturients undergoing cesarean section may serve as a potential predictor of the maximum sensory block level, the time required to achieve the T4 dermatome, and regression time to the T10 dermatome following spinal anesthesia.

Keywords

• Abdominal circumference
• spinal anesthesia
• block level
• cesarean section

Ethical Statement

Approval for this prospectively designed study was obtained from the local institutional ethics committee (approval no. 25-MOBAEK-242; Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, June 17, 2025).

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