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Anesthesiology
Preparing for Surgery
Prior to surgery, a pediatric nurse practitioner who specializes in anesthesia, spends time with children and their parents explaining all facets of the hospitalization and what to expect.
Before administering anesthesia, we make sure our young patients are at their healthiest. Staff call parents the night before, for example, to ensure that their child does not have a cold and would therefore be unable to undergo anesthesia. We also require patients to keep an empty stomach prior to surgery or a procedure so that there is no risk of obstructing the airway. After the procedure, an anesthesiologist closely monitors the child in the recovery room.
When it is deemed medically appropriate, parents may accompany their child into the operating room and stay until the child falls asleep from anesthesia. Parents may also be present in the recovery area before their child wakes up. These transitions help to provide a more secure and less anxiety-provoking experience for the child, as well as the family.
What to ExpectDuring surgery, your child will be given some form of anesthesia, or medication administered for the relief of pain and sensation during surgery. The type and dosage of anesthesia is determined by the anesthesiologist and will vary from light to heavy sedation, to general anesthesia. When your child is scheduled for surgery, you and your child will meet with the anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist before the procedure to review your child's medical condition and history to plan the appropriate anesthetic for surgery.
Types of AnesthesiaThere are various forms of anesthesia. The type of anesthesia your child will receive will depend on the type of surgery and your child's medical condition. Usually, an anesthesiologist will administer a sedative to make your child sleepy in addition to the anesthetic. The different types of anesthesia include the following:
Local anesthesia: Local anesthesia is an anesthetic agent given to temporarily stop the sense of pain in a particular area of the body only. A patient remains conscious during a local anesthetic. For minor surgery, a local anesthetic can be administered via injection to the site. However, when a large area needs to be numbed or if a local anesthetic injection will not penetrate deep enough, physicians may use regional anesthetics.
Regional anesthesia: Regional anesthesia is used to numb only the portion of the body that will undergo the surgical procedure. Usually an injection of local anesthetic is given in the area of nerves that provide feeling to that part of the body. There are several forms of regional anesthetics, including the following:
Spinal anesthetic: A spinal anesthetic is used for lower abdominal, pelvic, rectal, or lower extremity surgery. This type of anesthetic involves injecting a single dose of the anesthetic medication into the lower back, below the end of the spinal cord to numb in the lower body. In some situations, such as a prolonged procedure, continuous spinal anesthesia may be used. A thin catheter, or hollow tube, is left in place for additional injections of the anesthetic agent, which ensures numbness during the length of the procedure.
Epidural anesthetic: The epidural anesthetic is similar to a spinal anesthetic and is commonly used for surgery of the lower limbs. This type of anesthesia involves continually infusing an anesthetic medication through a thin catheter, or hollow tube. The catheter is placed into the space that surrounds the spinal cord in the lower back, causing numbness in the lower body. Epidural anesthesia may also be used for chest surgical procedures. In this case, the anesthetic medication is injected at a higher location in the back to numb the chest and abdominal areas.
General anesthesia: General anesthesia is an anesthetic used to induce unconsciousness during surgery.
Contact
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- (212) 305-2413
