Regional anesthesia is an alternative to general anesthesia.br A patient may sometimes choose a particular form of anesthesia, however for certain types of operations medical considerations alone are taken into account.br br Regional anesthesia is preferable in certain medical situations: respiratory deficiency, for elderly patients, or in cases of full-term pregnancy.br br There are a variety of regional anaesthesias:br br Spinal or epidural anesthesia which anesthetises the lower region of the body.br Peripheral nerve block anesthesia.br A nerve can be blocked at its trunk level, for example to anesthetise an entire leg.br A nerve can also be blocked at the level of one of its roots to anesthetise a specific part of the leg.